-      * 


REMINISCENCES 


AND 

INCIDENTS  OF  A  LONG  LIFE, 

BY  • 

REV.  THOS.  C.  TEASDALE,  D.  D. 

WITH    A    BKLEF    INTRODUCTION 
BY 

REV.  C.  E.  W.  DOBBS,    D.   D., 

Of  Columbus,  Miss. 

FIRST  EDITION. 


ST.  LOUIS,  MO. : 

NATIONAL  BAPTIST  PUBLISHING  co. 

1887. 


Entered  ace  arding  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1887, 
by 

THOMAS  C.  TEASDALE, 
In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


PRKFACK. 


This  work  is  given  to  the  public  at  the  earnest  re- 
quest of  many  of  our  most  prominent  ministers  of  the 
gospel,  and  a  great  multitude  of  lay  members,  amongst 
whomjl  have  labored,  either  as  pastor,  or  evangelist. 
Its  preparation  was  commenced  many  years  ago.  A 
large  portion  of  it  was  written  some  time  before  Rev. 
Dr.  Jeter  began  the  publication  of  his  "Recollections 
of  a  Long  Life,"  in  the  Religious  Herald,  of  Rich- 
mond, Va.  So  that,  although  there  may  be  some  re- 
semblance between  his  "Recollections,"  and  my  "Re- 
miniscences," it  must  not  be  supposed  that  my  book  is 
a  mere  imitation  of  his.  Its  publication  has  been  de- 
layed to  the  present  time,  so  that  it  might  contain  as 
nearly  all  of  my  life  and  labors  as  possible.  I  am  now 
within  a  few  weeks  of  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  I 
have  been  preaching  the  gospel  fifty-nine  years.  And 
it  is  not  likely  that  I  will  be  able  to  perform  much 
more  public  ministerial  work.  The  incidents  related  in 
the  book  are  mostly  those  that  have  fallen  under  my 
own  observation.  I  trust  they  will  be  interesting  and 
profitable  to  all  who  may  read  them.  God  has  honored 
me  greatly  in  my  ministry  ;  and  many  thousands  have 
been  led  to  Jesus  for  salvation,  through  my  humble  in- 
strumentality. To  his  adorable  name  be  all  the  glory  ! 
Amen. 

THOS.  C.  TEASDALE. 


To  my  beloved  wife,  who  has  shared  with  me  the 
joys,  the  sorrows,  and  the  cares  of  fifty-six  years  of 
married  life ;  and  to  my  surviving  children,  of  whom  I 
have  four,  three  sons  and  one  daughter ;  and  to  the 
ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  Christian  brethren  general- 
ly, who  have  so  heartily  co-operated  with  me  in  all  my 
efforts  to  win  souls  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  every  part  of 
the  country,  this  volume  is  most  affectionately  in- 
scribed, by 

THE  AUTHOR. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  world  is  greatly  indebted  to  biography.  The 
records  of  lives  lived  before  us  are  sources  of  knowl- 
edge and  warning,  encouragement  and  hope  to  our- 
selves and  to  those  who  come  after  us.  Very  much  of 
the  Bible  is  biography,  and  no  inconsiderable  portion  is 
autobiography.  God  would  have  us  learu  wisdom  from 
the  examples  of  others ;  from  their  deeds  and  words ; 
their  successes  and  their  failures.  Most  of  ancient 
history,  if  not  indeed,  of  all  history,  is  but  the  recital 
of  the  acts  of  individuals,  who  have  prominently  figured 
in  the  events  which  have  shaped  the  destinies  of  the  race. 
While  it  is  true  that  principles,  rather  than  men, 
are  the  prime  factors  in  the  outworking  of 
human  progress,  still  the  world  naturally  looks 
to  the  individuals  through  whom  those  principles  have 
been  embodied  in  deeds.  While  causes,  long  antedat- 
ing the  birth  of  those  who  figure  on  the  historic  page, 
may  have  produced  the  circumstances  which  made 
their  lives  possible,  yet  the  fascination  of  that  page  gath- 
ers round  the  actor,  rather  than  the  precedent  causes. 
So  it  is  that  biography  has  a  charm  for  the  average 
mind,  which  will  eagerly  and  readily  suffer  itself  to  be 


Tl  INTRODUCTION. 

moulded  and  led  by  principles  and  doctrines  exemplifi- 
ed by  a  life,  when  those  same  principles  and  doctrines 
would  prove  uninteresting  and  barren  if  presented  in 
abstract  form.  Herein  is  found  the  wonderful  power 
of  those  life-pictures  drawn  by  our  Lord  in  his  parables. 
The  truth  embodied  in  the  story  of  the  man,  the  woman, 
the  steward,  the  householder,  the  shepherd,  the  king — 
ah !  how  it  reaches  and  thrills  and  sways !  Our  modern 
teachers  of  religious  and  moral  duties  recognize  that  for 
the  great  mass  of  men,  this  is  the  most  efficient  method 
of  inculcating  truth.  Weaving  the  truth  into  the  threads 
of  the  story,  either  of  a  real,  or  an  ideal  life — this  is 
the  open  door  to  the  soul.  And  the  story,  with  the 
truth  incidentally  taught,  is  effective  in  proportion  to 
the  verisimilitude  characterizing  the  production. 

Dr.  Pendleton,  in  reviewing  Dr.  Hatcher's  "Life  of 
Dr.  Jeter,"  says  that  "works  of  biography  are  not 
generally  popular,"  and  he  instances  the  fact  that  sec- 
ond editions  of  many  works  of  this  kind  have  not  been 
called  for.  But  there  are  biographies  and  biographies. 
One  need  not  wonder  that  biographies  such  as 
once  composed  the  bulk  of  the  volumes  burdening 
(yes,  literally)  the  shelves  of  Sunday-school  libraries, 
should  have  been  distasteful  to  the  dear  souls  forced  to 
peruse  them.  Let  us  hope  that  that  style  of  biog- 
raphy, with  its  fitting  companion — the  canting 
"diary"  of  too  self-conscious  piety — has  gone  forever 
into  its  deserved  oblivion !  But  no  one,  who  is  capable 
of  enjoying  a  really  instructive  and  entertaining  book, 
can  read,  for  example,  that  "Life  of  Dr.  Jeter"  with- 


INTRODUCTION.  Vll 

out  pleasure  and  profit.  It  may  be  that  the  prejudice 
against  books  of  biography  has  arisen  from  the  experi- 
ence of  the  past. 

This  work  of  Dr.  Teasdale,  though  autobiographical, 
will  be  found  to  be  anything  but  prosy  and  dull.  Its 
pages,  so  full  of  incidents  and  reminiscences  of  the 
long  life  of  one  of  God's  honored  servants,  will  be 
read  with  unflagging  interest  by  multitudes  who  have 
known  and  revered  him.  It  is  not  the  work  of  sudden 
and  late  impulse  ;  it  is  the  growth  of  years  of  experi- 
ence and  labor.  The  busy  life  of  the  author,  so  varied 
in  its  spheres  of  usefulness,  has  necessarily  brought 
him  into  relations  and  associations  more  or  less  in- 
timate with  widely-scattered  thousands  of  God's  chil- 
dren. Nearly  three  score  years  of  ministerial  service, 
— as  pastor,  as  secretary,  as  professor,  as  evangelist,  as 
author, — have  made  Dr.  Teasdale  a  household  name 
among  Baptists  North  and  South,  East  and  West. 
Those  who  have  known  him  in  any  of  his  many  fields 
of  labor  will  welcome  this  volume,  and  will  be  glad  to 
put  before  their  families  this  vivid  narrative  of  a  life 
so  consecrated  to  duty  and  so  useful  to  the  cause  of 
the  Master.  Urgent  calls  from  many  of  those  friends 
have  had  much  to  do  in  persuading  Dr.  Teasdale  to 
write  the  book. 

Dr.  Teasdale' s  character  as  a  man,  no  less  than  his 
eminent  service  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  entitles 
him  to  regard  and  esteem.  The  proverb  tells  us  that 
"the  hoary  head  is  a  crown  of  glory  if  it  be  found  in 
the  way  of  righteousness."  Since  early  manhood,  he 


Vlil  INTRODUCTION. 

has  been  numbered  among  the  soldiers  of  Christ,  and 
has  borne  no  small  part  in  the  struggles  and  victories 
which  have  been  fought  and  achieved  by  the  church  in 
the  present  century.  Born  almost  in  its  beginning,  he 
has  lived  to  share  the  marvellous  activities  and  gratify- 
ing successes  characterizing  its  last  quarter.  The  writer 
heard  him  make  an  impromptu  talk  in  one  of  the  morn- 
ing half  hours  of  prayer,  at  the  State  Convention  of 
Mississippi  Baptists,  recently  held  in  Oxford,  in  which 
he  said :  "For  more  than  half  a  century  have  I  tried  to 
serve  God  in  preaching  the  precious  Gospel  of  Christ. 
I  have  loved  this  blessed  Savior  and  the  work  he  has 
given  me  to  do,  and  if  I  had  to  live  my  life  over  again 
I  would  cheerfully  devote  it  all  to  the  same  delightful 
service."  Such  language  is  the  utterance  of  profound 
conviction  and  earnest  piety ;  it ,  is  the  tribute  which 
sincere  love  and  self-sacrificing  faithfulness  would  lay 
at  the  feet  of  saving  Grace.  Soon  will  his  work  be 
done  on  earth,  and  the  servant  shall  go  to  his  heavenly 
rewards.  Soon  will  the  wrarrior  lay  down  his  armor, 
and  enter  into  his  eternal  victory.  It  is  well  that  he 
should  leave  behind  him  this  volume  telling  how  the 
Lord  has  led  him  and  blessed  him  as  he  has  labored  in 
the  vineyard  and  fought  the  good  fight. 

Dr.  Teasdale's  long  ministry  has  been  many-sided 
in  its  spheres  of  usefulness.  In  this  introduction  it  is 
unnecessary  to  dwell  upon  these  in  detail.  The  reader 
would  more  satisfactorily  consult  the  pages  which  lie 
before  him.  Suffice  it  to  say  here  that  in  all  the  posi- 
tions he  has  occupied,  he  has  given  the  best  energies  of 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

his  mind  and  heart  to  the  duties  of  the  hour.  As  pas- 
tor, the  records  which  tell  of  laborious  and  successful 
years  at  New  Haven,  Pittsburg,  Springfield,  Washing- 
ton and  Columbus,  testify  to  his  faithfulness  and  ef- 
ficiency. As  Secretary,  he  can  point  with  satisfaction 
to  the  energy  with  which  he  prosecuted  the  work  of 
the  Sunday-school  Board  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Con- 
vention during  the  trying  and  critical  years  when  it 
was  in  his  charge.  As  author,  he  has  just  reason  to 
rejoice  that  his  "Revival Discourses"  and  his  work  on 
"Baptism  and  Communion"  have  been  greatly  blessed 
to  the  edification,  comfort  and  guidance  of  many  souls. 
But  it  is  as  Evangelist  perhaps,  that  he  has  done  his 
best  work  and  been  most  signally  owned  of  the  Mas- 
ter. In  this  special  field  he  has  indeed  made  full  proof 
of  his  ministry.  The  name  "evangelist"  is  used  in 
deference  to  common  usage,  though  that  usage  has  not 
wholly  the  sanction  of  the  New  Testament.  The  word 
is  found  three  times  in  the  New  Testament.  Philip, 
one  of  the  seven,  was  known  as  "the  evangelist,"  and 
Timothy  was  urged  by  Paul  to  "do  the  work  of  an 
evangelist,"  while  among  the  "gifts"  of  the  ascended 
Head  of  the  Church,  for  the  building  up  of  the  body 
of  Christ,  the  evangelist  is  named.  (Acts  xxi.  8  ; 
2  Tim.  iv.  5  ;  Eph.  iv.  11).  The  Greek  verbal  form  oc- 
curs frequently,  usually  rendered  "preach  the  Gos- 
pel"— literally  "evangelize."  An  evangelist,  then,  in 
the  Scripture  sense,  is  one  who  preaches  the  Gospel, 
perhaps  with  an  implication  of  itinerancy.  The  name 
indicates  a  work,  rather  than  a  distinct  ministerial  or- 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

der.  The  Apostles  "evangelized,"  that  is,  they  were 
"heralds  of  the  good  tidings."  (Acts  vm.  25  ;  XTV.  7  : 
1  Cor.  i :  17).  From  the  connection  in  which  the  word 
is  found  we  may  infer  that  the  calling  of  the  evangel- 
ist was  the  proclamation  of  the  Gospel  to  those  who 
had  not  known  it,  rather  than  the  instruction  and  pas- 
toral care  of  those  already  gathered  into  churches.  In 
the  early  Christian  centuries  the  term  was  applied  to 
the  writers  of  the  four  Gospels ;  and  we  yet  so  apply 
it.  If  we  think  of  the  modern  evangelist  as  one  whose 
special  mission  it  is  to  preach  the  Gospel' to  the  uncon- 
verted, there  is  a  quasi-scriptural  argument  for  the 
use.  Perhaps,  however,  the  modern  foreign  mission- 
ary, bearing  the  glad  tidings  for  the  first  time  to  the 
heathen,  is  the  nearest  analogy  to  the  evangelist  of 
the  New  Testament.  Using  the  term  in  its  prevalent 
significance  Dr.  Teasdale  must  be  considered  a  very  suc- 
cessful evangelist. 

He  was,  in  the  years  of  his  evangelistic  activity,  ad- 
mirably fitted  for  that  work.  When  a  youth  of 
eighteen  years,  I  first  heard  him,  he  was  in  the  prime 
of  manhood,  one  of  the  most  impressive  pulpit  orators 
of  our  country.  Though  of  small  stature  his  appear- 
ance in  the  pulpit  indicated  a  man  of  much  larger 
build.  His  movements  and  gestures  in  the  delivery  of 
his  sermons  were  exceedingly  graceful.  His  elocution 
was  fine,  and  his  voice  exceptionally  clear  and  resonant. 
In  prayer  he  was  especially  gifted.  When  he  drew 
near  the  throne  of  grace  his  manner  was  reverent,  and 
the  earnest  and  pathetic  tone  of  his  petitions  moved  the 


INTRODUCTION. 

soul  to  sincere  attention  and  humble  interest.  His 
sermons  displayed  no  inconsiderable  analytical  and 
logical  thought.  He  preached  the  Word.  In  doctrine 
his  sermons  were  always  eminently  Scriptural.  While 
not  ignoring  the  graces  of  rhetoric  eloquence,  they 
abound  in  the  clear  statements  of  fundamental  Gospel 
truth  as  of  paramount  importance  in  winning  souls. 
It  may  be  well  to  refer  here  to  those  admirable  ser- 
mons on  "Self  righteousness,"  the  "Agency  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,"  and  the  "Sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit," 
found  in  his  "Revival  Discourses."  These  proclaim  in 
no  uncertain  terms  the  plan  of  salvation,  while  his 
discourse  on  "God's  Controversy  with  the  Sinner," 
sets  forth  with  such  vividness  the  depravity  and  guilt 
of  the  ungodly  as  to  make  the  conscience  tremble  un- 
der a  sense  of  the  need  of  Divine  mercy. 

As  an  evangelist,  Dr.  Teasdale  never  played  the 
clown ;  he  was  no  buffoon ;  he  never  descended  to 
"court  a  smile  when  he  should  woo  a  soul."  Boorish 
jokes  and  vulger  slang  found  no  place  in  his  message 
from  God.  Impressed  with  the  awful  danger  of  men, 
and  the  solemnity  of  his  vocation,  he  discarded  alike 
the  jesting  and  the  tricks  of  the  mountebank,  which, 
alas,  have  come  to  play  so  sad  a  part  in  the  preaching 
and  methods  of  many  popular  so-called  "evangelists." 
Unlike  them,  Dr.  Teasdale  ever  preached  the  Gospel 
as  the  only  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

"He  preached  as  tho'  he  ne'er  might  preach  again, 
And  as  a  dying  man  to  dying  men." 

Souls  converted  under  such  an   evangelist   come   into 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

the  churches  animated  by  the  true  idea  of  salvation  by 
grace  and  prepared  to  "run  the  race  set  before  them." 
Intelligently  led  to  Christ  they  continue  to  "serve  God 
with  reverence  and  Godly  fear." 

It  need  scarcely  be  added  that  in  his  work  as  an  evan- 
gelist Dr.  Teasdale  aimed  to  strengthen  the  pastors  in 
the  esteem  and  affection  of  the  churches.  He  did  not 
pose  before  the  people  as  some  "higher  life"  saint  who 
had  attained  unto  some  peculiar  spiritual  aristocracy, 
in  the  kingdom  of  Heaven.  He  did  not  begin  his 
meetings  by  abusing  the  ministry  as  lacking  in  faith 
and  faithfulness,  or  devoid  of  earnestness  in  preaching 
the  Gospel.  Many  "evangelists"  seem  to  think  it  nec- 
essary to  hold  up  the  average  pastor  as  wanting  in 
knowledge  of  the  Word  and  lacking  in  zeal  for  the 
salvation  of  their  flocks.  Not  so  with  this  Father  in 
Israel.  He  fully  recognized  the  work  of  the  ordinary 
ministry  in  their  faithful  seed-sowing  and  oversight  of 
the  churches,  and  came  to  their  aid  as  a  fellow-worker 
with  them  in  the  Lord's  harvest  field. 

In  the  Baptist  ministry  of  to-day  stand  many  honor- 
ed men  of  God  who,  though  Dr.  Teasdale's  preaching, 
were  either  led  to  the  Savior,  or  induced  to  enter  the 
ministry.  Among  them  may  be  mentioned  Drs.  Lori- 
mer  and  Hawthorne.  Never  can  I  cease  to  thank  God 
for  the  providence  that  led  me  to  hear  a  series  of 
sermons  by  Dr.  Teasdale  in  Portsmouth,  Va.  some  thirty 
years  ago.  That  series  of  sermons  under  God  saved 
me  from  what  might  have  been  a  life-long  groping  amid 
the  shadows  of  Universalism,  and  turned  my  feet  into 


INTRODUCTION.  xlii 

the  path  which  ultimately  led  me  to  the  "truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus."  And  now,  as  this  venerable  servant  of 
Jesus  is  Hearing  his  crown,  I  desire  to  lay  before  the 
world  this  tribute  to  his  life  and  worth. 

C.  E.  W.  DOBBS. 
Columbus,  Miss., 
Sept.  1,  '87. 


REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS, 


CHAPTER  I. 


INCIDENTS  OF  CHILDHOOD  AND  YOUTH. 

Rev.  Thomas  Cox  Teasdale,  D.  D.,  was  born  iu  the 
Township  of  Wantage,  Sussex  County,  New  Jersey, 
December  2,  1808.  He  was  the  second  son,  and  third 
child  of  Hon.  Thomas  and  Mrs.  Hannah  Teasdale. 
His  grandfather,  Rev.  Thomas  Teasdale,  who  was  an 
eminent  Baptist  preacher,  emigrated  from  England 
to  this  country,  when  Dr.  Teasdale's  father  was  four- 
/  teen  years  of  age,  and  settled  soon  after  his  arrival 
in  America,  in  the  Northern  part  of  Sussex  County, 
N.  J.,  and  took  charge  of  a  church  in  Hardyston 
Township,  which  is  now  known  as  the  Hamburg  Bap- 
tist Church  in  that  County.  Although  he  received  re- 
peated calls  to  take  charge  of  important  city  churches, 
with  offers  of  tempting  salaries,  he  could  not  be  in- 
duced to  sever  the  ties  that  bound  him  to  his  country 
church;  and  he  continued  to  serve  that  church,  so  dear 
to  his  affections,  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  died 
n  the  triumphs  of  faith,  April  25,  1827,  when  he 


2  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

was  seventy-five  years  of  age.  He  had  preached  the 
glorious  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  over  fifty  years; 
and  fully  one-half  of  that  period  had  been  spent  in 
the  pastorate  of  the  Hamburg  Church.  His  funeral 
sermon  was  preached  by  the  late  Rev.  Leonard 
Fletcher,  then  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Wantage,  N.  J.,  from  2  Tim.  iv.  6,  7.  "I  am  now 
ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is 
at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished 
my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith.  Henceforth  there 
is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the 
Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  in  that  day.'' 
His  remains  were  deposited  in  the  grave-yard,  near 
the  meeting-house  in  which,  for  so  many  years,  he 
had  preached,  so  eloquently  and  affectively,  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ. 

A  few  incidents  in  the  childhood  of  Dr.  T.  may  be 
deemed  worthy  of  notice.  When  he  was  not  more 
than  two  years  old,  he  saved  the  life  of  a  little  cousin 
of  his.  His  father  was,  at  that  time,  carrying  on  the 
tanning  and  currying  business.  His  cousin,  about  his 
own  age,  named  Nicholas  Cuddeback,  and  himself, 
were  playing  in  the  tan-yard,  and  little  Nicholas  fell 
into  one  of  the  vats.  He  ran  at  once  into  the  shop 
where  his  father  was,  and  exclaimed,  "Nickie  in  vat." 
His  father  ran  out  and  saw  the  blubbers  in  the  vat,  into 
which  Nickie  had  fallen,  and  drew  him  out,  and  with 
some  difficulty  resuscitated  the  nearly  drowned  boy. 

To  show  the  tenacity  with  which  very  early  recol- 
lections cling  to  us,  Dr.  T.  remembers  distinctly,  as  if 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  3 

it  were  but  yesterday,  that  when  he  was  only  about 
three  years  old,  his  father  put  him  on  a  gentle  horse, 
and  while  he  led  the  horse  around  the  yard,  he  held  on 
to  the  leg  of  his  little  sonto  keep  him  from  falling  off. 
From  that  early  period,  he  contracted  a  fondness  for 
a  good  horse,  which  has  gone  with  him  through  all  his 
life. 

When  he  was  about  four  years  old,  his  father  and 
mother  went  off,  on  a  given  Saturday,  to  what  was 
then  called  in  that  section,  their  Church  Meeting  ;  at 
the  South  and  Southwest,  it  is  generally  called,  now, 
the  Conference  Meeting  of  the  Church.  His  oldest 
sister,  and  his  now  sainted  minister  brother,  and  him- 
self, were  playing  in  the  tan -yard,  and  he  fell  into  one 
of  the  vats.  His  brother  and  sister  were  greatly 
alarmed,  and  were  just  about  to  start  to  a  near  neigh- 
bor's residence  to  procure  help,  when  he  rose  and 
caught  hold  of  one  of  the  poles  lying  across  the  vat, 
on  which  the  skins,  in  process  of  tanning,  were  placed, 
occasionally,  for  airing.  When  his  brother  and  sister 
saw  that  he  had  arisen,  and  had  caught  hold  of  the 
pole,  they  took  hold  of  his  arm,  and  drew  him  out, 
and  thus  saved  his  life.  If  they  had  gone  to  the 
neighbors  for  help,  he  would  have  been  drowned  be- 
fore they  could  have  returned. 

Another  incident  in  his  early  life  he  remembers  with 
interest.  He  was  now  some  seven  or  eight  years  old. 
His  father  had  purchased  and  just  brought  home  a 
span  of  horses,  having  sold  or  exchanged  for  these  his 
former  team.  One  of  these  horses  was  a  mere  colt, 


4  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

some  three  years  old.  The  other  was  considerably 
more  than  double  that  age.  He  insisted  that  he  would 
have  the  colt  for  his  horse,  and  his  brother  John 
should  take  the  old  one.  His  father  hit  upon  this  plan 
to  decide  the  matter.  Tommio  must  go  with  him  into 
the  stable,  and  he  should  choose  the  horse  he  wanted. 
Well,  it  so  happened,  that  he  chose  the  older  one  of 
the  horses,  and  his  brother  John  got  the  colt.  He 
was  terribly  chagrined  when  he  found  that  he  had 
chosen  the  older  horse  instead  of  the  colt ;  but  he  sub- 
mitted to  his  fate  without  murmuring.  It  was  all  the 
more  mortifying  to  him,  when  he  found  out  afterwards 
that  the  colt  was  a  remarkably  easy  riding  horse,  and 
the  one  he  had  chosen  was  a  very  rough  riding  ani- 
mal. 

At  another  time,  when  he  was  some  ten  years  of 
age,  he  was  coasting  down  a  pretty  long  hill  on  a  little 
hand  sled  on  the  smooth  snow,  and  he  ran  into  a  fence 
at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and  came  near  breaking  his 
leg.  He  has  carried  the  scar  from  that  injury,  dur- 
ing all  his  days,  and  deems  it  a  merciful  providence 
that  he  was  not  maimed  for  life. 

At  another  time,  while  still  very  young,  he  was  in- 
duced to  take  a  chew  of  tobacco,  by  some  of  his  older 
school-mates,  which  made  him  terribly  sick.  He 
vomited  most  violently,  and  felt  as  if  he  must  die. 
This  proved  to  be  a  most  fortunate  circumstance  in 
his  history.  He  never  afterwards  took  a  chew  of  to- 
bacco ;  he  did  not  even  smoke  the  noxious  weed. 

There  is  still  another  incident  in  his  early  life  which 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  5 

may  be  mentioned.  His  brother  John  and  himself 
had  obtained  permission  of  their  father  to  ride  on  the 
sled,  which  was  about  to  be  driven  to  the  woods,  more 
than  a  mile  distant,  for  a  load  of  wood.  The  snow 
was  deep  on  the  ground,  and  the  day  was  extremely 
cold.  On  their  return  from  the  woods,  they  had  to 
face  the  intensely  cold  north  wind.  They  became 
very  cold,  and  were  advised  to  get  off  the  sled,  and 
run  the  balance  of  the  way  home.  His  brother  had 
suffered  an  injury  in  one  of  his  limbs  a  short  time  be- 
fore, which  made  it  difficult  for  him  to  make  rapid  ad- 
vances ;  and  he  became  so  chilled  that  he  was  about 
to  give  up  and  lie  down  in  the  snow.  Tommie  knew 
if  he  did  so,  he  would  freeze  to  death  before  assistance 
could  be  procured .  He,  therefore,  urged  his  brother 
to  persevere,  and  gave  him  all  the  assistance  he  could, 
and  thus  saved  the  valuable  life  of  that  dear  brother. 

The  parents  of  Tommie  had  made  a  profession  of 
religion  before  his  recollection  :  and  he,  therefore, 
enjoyed  the  inestimable  advantages  of  pious,  parental 
instruction  and  example,  from  his  earliest  childhood. 
It  was  not,  however,  until  he  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
that  he  entertained  any  impressive  views  of  his  wretch- 
ed condition  as  a  lost  sinner,  or  made  any  effort  to 
secure  his  soul's  salvation.  At  that  time,  there  was 
quite  an  extensive  revival  in  the  church  to  which  his 
parents  belonged,  and  of  which  Rev.  Levi  Hall  was 
then  the  pastor.  Mr.  Hall  had  not  enjoyed  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  liberal  education  ;  but  he  was  well  versed 
in  the  sacred  Scriptures,  and  was  an  earnest  and  useful 


6  REMINISCENCED  AND   INCIDENTS 

preacher.  There  were  then  no  Sunday-schools  in  the 
country  churches  in  that  vicinity,  and  the  views  enter- 
tained by  the  mass  of  Christian  professors,  respecting 
the  conversion  of  vounsc  children,  were  exceedinjjlv 

*•  O  O    *• 

erroneous.  Consequently,  although  Tommie  had  been 
made  to  feel  deeply  his  need  of  a  Divine  Savior,  he 
received  no  encouragement  to  go  at  once  to  Jesus  for 
salvation.  His  oldest  sister,  four  years  older  than 
himself,  and,  quite  a  large  number  of  young  people  of 
her  age,  and  of  those  a  few  years  older,  professed 
conversion  during  that  revival.  But  he  was  thought 
to  be  too  young  to  comprehend  enough  of  the  plan  of 
salvation  to  exercise  saving  faith  in  the  merits  of  the 
Redeemer;  and,  therefore,  he  was  neglected,  both  by 
the  pastor,  and  by  Christians  generally.  For  several 
months  he  had  a  very  lively  apprehension  of  his  danger 
while  out  of  Christ ;  and  he  experienced  a  deep  con- 
sciousness of  his  guilt  and  ill-desert,  as  a  rebel  against 
his  Maker.  But,  owing  to  the  erroneous  views  then 
entertained  respecting  early  piety,  by  the  people  of 
that  community,  as  we  have  before  stated,  he  failed  to 
receive  such  encouragement  as  his  exigencies  required, 
and  he  was  not  therefore  brought  to  a  saving  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth  at  that  time.  The  result  was  that 
he  gradually  lost  his  intense  solicitude  on  the  subject 
of  his  soul's  salvation;  and  so  he  finally  relapsed  into 
comparative  carelessness  and  sin.  His  serious  ap- 
prehensions, however,  were  never  entirely  effaced,  after 
his  first  deep  concern  ;  but  they  were,  to  a  great  extent, 
stifled  and  suppressed.  He  remained  in  this  condition 


Or  A  LONG  LITE.  7 

some  six  years.  His  early  sense  of  the  guilt  and 
danger  of  sin  served  to  restrain  him  from  those  ir- 

O 

regularities  of  life  to  which  youth  are  so  generally  ad- 
dicted. But  the  result  was  that  he  imbibed  the  idea  of 
attempting  to  justify  himself  before  God,  by  the 
works  of  the  law,  independently  of  the  merits  of 
Jesus; — a  sin  as  heinous  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  as 
dangerous  to  the  deluded,  self-righteous  individual,  as 
the  most  flagrant  transgressions.  He  never  uttered  a 
profane  oath ;  and  prided  himself  on  being  a  rigid 
moralist.  He  continued  in  this  state  until  the  fall  of 
1826,  when  it  pleased  God  to  impress  him  most  deeply 
with  a  sense  of  his  need  of  salvation  by  the  cross  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  His  brother  John,  who  was  two 
years  older  than  himself,  was  at  that  time  engaged  in 
teaching  a  select  school,  some  nine  or  ten  miles  from 
his  father's  residence.  During  the  slimmer  of  1826, 
some  tracts  were  put  into  the  hands  of  his  brother,  by 
a  lady  friend,  among  which  were,  "THE  DAIRY-MAN'S 
DAUGHTER,"  and  "THE  SHEPHERD  OF  SALISBURY 
PLAINS."  These  tracts,  together  with  the  tender  expost- 
ulations of  that  lady  friend,  who  afterwards  became  his 
wife,  were  made  the  means,  under  God,  of  fastening 
deep  conviction  for  sin  upon  his  mind.  His  anxiety 
became  very  intense  ;  and  in  that  condition  he  made  a 
visit  to  his  father's  house.  The  fact  of  his  brother's 
being  so  deeply  concerned  about  the  matter  of  hi.s 
soul's  salvation  awakened  considerable  solicitude  in 
Tommie's  mind  about  his  own  condition.  But  still  he 
seemed  disinclined  to  cherish  the  impressions  which 


8  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

were  thus  produced,  and  gave  himself  up  to  the  pur- 
suit of  trifling  earthly  pleasures  to  an  unusual  extent. 
Meanwhile,  awakened  conscience  was  thundering  its 
solemn  admonitions  in  his  ears,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  constantly  striving  with  his  heart.  At  length  his 
anxious  brother  obtained  relief  from  the  burden  of 
sin,  and  was  made  to  "rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory,"  in  the  consciousness  of  a  gracious 
acceptance  with  Christ.  Soon  after  he  had  experi- 
enced this  happy  change,  he  made  another  visit  to  his 
father's  house.  He  was  then  enabled  to  adopt  the 
language  of  the  prophet,  and  say:  "Though  thou 
wast  angry  with  me,  thine  anger  is  turned  away,  and 
now  thou  comfortest  me."  This  striking  change  in 
his  brother's  feelings,  made  a  very  deep  impression 
upon  Tommie's  mind.  His  brother  and  himself  had 
been  almost  one  and  inseparable.  Never,  perhaps, 
were  brothers  more  endeared  to  each  other.  As  chil- 
dren, they  had  slept  in  the  same  little  trundle  bed  ; 
eaten  at  the  same  bounteous  board;  angled  in  the  same 
pebbly  stream  ;  bathed  in  the  crystal  waters  of  the  same 
rippling  brook;  sported  over  the  same  green  fields; 
rambled  through  the  same  shady  groves;  attended  the 
same  select  school ;  and  listened  to  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel  from  the  lips  of  the  same  godly  ambas- 
sadors of  Christ,  through  all  the  period  of  their  child- 
hood and  early  youth.  And  the  thought  of  being 
separated  now,  by  lines  so  widely  diverging,  greatly 
troubled  his  spirit.  The  scenes  that  transpired  around 
that  joyous  hearth-stone,  on  that  occasion,  served  only 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE. 

to  intensify  all  the  more  this  deep  distress,  and  drive 
the  arrow  of  conviction  more  deeply  into  his  soul. 
To  all  this  were  added  the  affectionate  entreaties  of 
that  converted  brother,  who  besought  him  in  tears  to 
go  with  him  in  the  way  to  heaven.  In  short,  it  was 
that  visit,  and  the  tender  expostulations  of  that,  now 
sainted  minister-brother,  that  led  him  to  resolve  most 
firmly,  that,  by  the  assisting  grace  of  God,  he  would 
then  seek  the  salvation  of  his  soul.  About  a  week 
afterwards  he  found  "peace  in  believing,  and  joy  in 
the  Holy  Ghost."  But  the  week  that  intervened  be- 
tween the  visit  of  his  converted  brother,  and  the  time 
when  he  was  "translated  out  of  the  kingdom  of  dark- 
ness into  the  kingdom  of  God's  dear  Son,"  was  one 
of  the  utmost  gloom  and  wretchedness.  Food  lost  its 
relish  ;  sleep  departed,  in  a  great  measure,  from  his 
eyes  :  society  had  for  him  no  longer  any  charms  ;  time 
hung  heavily  on  his  hands  ;  and  despair — sullen,  horri- 
ble despair — seemed  to  stare  him  in  the  face.  He 
tried  every  means  of  relief ; — he  read  the  Bible  ;  en- 
deavored to  pray  ;  sought  opportunity  to  hear  the  gos- 
pel preached ;  and  }"et  he  grew  nothing  better,  but 
rather  worse.  His  distress  became  so  great,  that 
moralist  as  he  had  been,  he  would  Have  exchanged  his 
sondition  with  that  of  almost  any  flagrant  sinner  in  his 
vicinity.  He  felt  that  he  had  sinned  against  greater 
light,  stronger  convictions,  and  more  tender  love  than 
almost  anyone  else;  and  he  thought  that  God  would 
be  just,  and  his  throne  forever  guiltless,  if  he  should 
bid  away  every  kindly  influence  from  his  heart,  and 


10  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

abandon  him  to  his  merited  doom.  Indeed,  he  felt, 
much  of  the  time,  that  his  day  of  grace  was  utterly 
passed,  and  that  his  case  was  entirely  hopeless.  No 
tongue  of  men  or  angels  can  describe  the  horrors  of 
that  week.  At  length,  as  he  came  back  from  a 
neighboring  grove,  into  which  he  had  gone  to  pour 
out  his  anguish  and  his  prayers  in  its  deep  and  quiet 
solitude,  these  excellent  lines  of  Watts'  ctuue  into  his 
mind,  and  he  repeated  ikem  : 

"Far irom  my  thoughts  vain  world  begone; 
Let  my  religious  hours  alone ! 
Fain  would  my  eyes  my  Savior  see; 
I  wait  a  visit  Lord  from  thee ! 

My  heart  grows  warm  with  holy  fire, 
And  kindles  with  a  pure  desire; 
Come  my  dear  Jesus  from  above, 
And  feed  my  soul  with  heavenly  love!" 

As  the  last  two  lines  of  the  second  stanza  passed 
through  his  mind,  his  very  heart  seemed  to  go  out  in 
the  language  of  the  poet : 

"Come  my  dear  Jesus  from  above, 
And  feed  my  soul  with  heavenly  love!" 

In  an  instant  his  burden  of  guilt  was  removed  ;  and 
a  flood  of  light  burst  into  his  mind.  He  felt  that 
he  had  no  longer  any  way  or  will  of  his  own;  but  that 
his  icitt  was  wholly  swallowed  up  in  the  Divine  will. 
The  subdued  and  penitent  sinner  of  Tarsus,  could 
scarcely  have  felt  a  more  perfect  submission  to  God 
than  he  experienced  on  that  memorable  occasion  ;  and 
with  that  penitent  sinner  he  could  say  from  his  heart, 

"LORD,  WHAT  WILT  THOU  HAVE  ME  TO  DO?" 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  11 

His  doubts  and  fears  were  at  once  dispelled,  and 
peace, — sweet  peace  of  God,  "that  passeth  all  under- 
standing," took  possession  of  his  soul.  He  could 
now  exclaim  with  the  poet,  in  holy  transport  : 

"O,  for  such  love  let  rocks  and  hills, 

Their  lasting  silence  break; 
And  all  harmonious  human  tongues, 
The  Savior's  praises  speak!" 

He  felt  that  he  could  now  understand  that  saying  of 
the  Apostle  :  "If  any  man  be  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  is 
Tn*ew  Creature.  Old  things  are  passed  away,  and  be- 
hold all  things  are  become  4*ew."  He  had  new  desires, 
new  hopes,  new  aims.  Even  nature  itself  seemed  to 
assume  a  more  cheerful  aspect.  His  love  to  Jesus  was 
now  supreme ;  and  his  affection  for  Christians  was 
most  intense.  The  Bible  appeared  to  him  to  be  very 
precious  ;  secret  prayer  was  an  ineffable  pleasure  ;  and 
all  the  duties  of  religion  were  a  delight  to  his  soul. 

Such,  in  brief,  were  some  of  the  circumstances  which 
surrounded  Tommie  up  to  the  time  when  he  first  felt 
that  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  had  forgiven  his  sins,  and 
had  adopted  him  into  his  spiritual  family.  He  then 
felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  identify  himself  with  the  people 
of  God  ;  and  accordingly,  on  the  very  next  Saturday, 
in  connection  with  his  dear  brother,  and  a  cousin  al- 
most as  dear,  he  related  his  exercises  of  mind  to  the 
church,  and  was  accepted  as  a  candidate  for  the  im- 
pressive and  symbolic  ordinance  of  Christian  Baptism. 

On  the  next  day,  a  bleak  November  Sunday — you 
might  have  seen  an  immense  crowd  assembled  on  the 


12  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

banks  of  the  Papa-Kating  Creek — a  creek  in  which 
many  hundreds  of  rejoicing  converts  have  been 
solemnly  buried  with  their  blessed  Lord  in  Christian 
Baptism — and  in  the  midst  of  that  great  concourse  of 
people,  you  might  have  s^en  three  young  men,  known 
perhaps  to  every  person  in  that  vast  assembly,  and  con- 
nected by  ties  of  consanguinity  to  many  of  them,  habited 
and  waiting  for  their  watery  grave.  The  eldest  of  these 
young  men  was  twenty  ;  the  next  was  nineteen ;  and 
tha -youngest  was  within  a  few  days  of  eighteen  years 
of  age.  The  eldest  was  the  now  sainted  minister- 
brother  of  Tominie  ;  the  second  a  very  dear  cousin; 
and  the  youngest  was  himself.  Deep  was  the  interest 
which  was  evinced  on  the  occasion  ;  and  as  the  tall 
and  graceful  administrator  descended  into  the  stream 
with  the  candidates,  in  the  order  of  their  ages,  and 
gently  and  slowly  laid  them,  in  their  turn,  in  the  liquid 
grave,  and  then  raised  them  up  in  the  likeness  of  the 
Savior's  resurrection,  eyes  unused  to  weep  mingled 
their  tears  with  the  tears  of  rejoicing,  happy  Chris- 
tians, over  that  impressive  scene.  It  was  a  day  never 
to  1)6  forgotten  by  the  youthful  candidates  ;  and  it 
proved  to  be  the  commencement  of  one  of  the  most 
precious  and  extensive  revivals  of  religion,  that  the 
people  of  that  church  and  vicinity  had  ever  enjoyed. 
More  than  a  hundred  happy  converts  united  with  that 
single  church  during  the  ensuing  winter ;  and  the  bless- 
ed work  spread  far  and  wioje  into  adjacent  churches 
and  communities. 

His  brother  John  felt  it  to  be  his  duty,  very  soon,  to 


OF  A  LONG  LITE.  13 

prepare  for  the  gospel  ministry;  and  therefore,  imme- 
diately commenced  a  course  of  study  with  that  end  in 
view.  In  the  Spring  of  1827,  he  gave  up  his  school, 
and  resorted  to  the  Literary  and  Theological  Seminary 
at  Hamilton,  N.  Y. — then  an  excellent  school  of  the 
Prophets,  but  now  known  as  MADISON  UNVERSITY. 
Tommie  had  then  no  impressions  of  duty  in  that  di- 
rection. He  had  other  schemes  and  purposes  which  he 
meant  to  consummate.  From  a  child  he  had  been 
passionately(fond  of  forensic  discussions.  While  yet 
a  small  boy  he  was  in  his  element  in  the  Debating 
Society ;  and  he  looked  forward  with  intensest  interest 
to  the  time,  when  he  might  be  able  to  cross  lances  with 
the  chivalrous  Knights  of  the  Bar. 

That  we  might  preserve  the  continuity  of  Tommie's 
religious  impressions,  we  have  followed  him  up  to  the 
time  of  his  conversion  and  baptism,  which  occurred, 
as  we  have  seen,  when  he  was  about  eighteen  years  of 
age.  We  must  now  go  back  to  note  some  other  inci- 
dents in  his  earlier  life.  When  he  was  six  years  old, 
his  father  was  called  to  the  command  of  a  company  in 
the  war  of  1812-14.  He  remembers  very  well  the 
parting  scene  ;  the  tears  of  his  mother,  and  the  crying 
of  the  children.  It  was  a  very  solemn  occasion,  and 
made  a  deep  impression  on  his  youthful  mind.  War 
to  him  then  seemed  to  be  a  terrible  thing,  and  he  has 
always  regarded  it  as  a  relic  of  gross  barbarism. 

A  few  years  after  the  close  of  that  war,  his  father 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  ;  and  it 
was  while  he  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  that 


14  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

the  statutes  of  the  State  were  tnoroughly  revised. 
That  was  the  longest  session  of  that  body  it  had  proba- 
bly ever  held.  While  his  father  was  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  that  year,  he  was  elected  Surrogate  of  his 
county,  which  then  embraced  both  Sussex  and  Warren 
Counties.  He  held  the  office  ten  years  ;  and  it  was 
while  he  was  Surrogate  that  Warren  County  was  set 
off  from  Sussex  County.  After  the  expiration  of  hisv 
second  term  as  Surrogate,  his  father  was  elected 
County  Judge,  which  office  he  held  to  the  day  of  his 
death. 

Up  to  the  time  of  his  father's  removal  from  the 
Township  of  Wantage  to  Newton,  the  County  seat,  to 
enter  upon  his  '  duties  as  Surrogate  of  the  county, 
Tommie  had  enjoyed  only  such  educational  advantages 
as  were  afforded  in  a  select  country  school.  He  com- 
menced going  to  school  when  he  was  very  young,  and 
got  his  lessons  with  little  difficulty.  He  remembers 
when  his  teacher  used  to  take  him  up  on  his  back,  and 
carry  him  repeatedly  a  good  part  of  the  way  to  the 
school-house.  He  remembers,  too,  when  the  doctor 
came  to  the  school-room  to  vaccinate  the  pupils,  and 
how  thoroughly  his  vaccination  took.  It  made  him 
sick  for  a  few  days,  and  the  scar  from  the  vaccination 
has  scarcely  disappeared  yet.  He  does  not  believe  in 
the  modern  theory,  that  the  whole  system  undergoes 
a  complete  change  every  seven  years ;  and  therefore  he 
has  never  been  re-vaccinated.  He  cannot  understand 
how  it  is,  if  the  system  does  so  change  every  seven 
years,  that  persons  are  not  liable  to  have  the  whoop- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  15 

ing  cough,  the  measles,  the  mumps,  the  small-pox,  the 
yellow  fever,  etc.,  etc.,  every  seven  years. 

He  was  about  fifteen  years  of  age  when  his  father 
removed  to  the  County  seat.  His  father  settled  on  a 
farm  about  a  mile  from  his  office  in  the  village.  By 
this  means  he  gave  his  sons  and  daughters  employ- 
ment, while  he  was  engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  office. 
The  boys  worked  on  the  farm,  and  the  girls  assisted 
their  mother  in  doing  the  house-work,  and  managing 
the  dairy.  During  the  winter  seasons,  Tommie  now 
enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a  firsUclass  village  academy. 
He  improved  the  opportunities  thus  afforded  him,  and 
made  rapid  advances  in  his  studies.  This  state  of 
things  continued  until  the  time  of  his  conversion  and 
baptism,  as  above  mentioned.  For  a  whole  year  after 
his  baptism,  he  had  no  impressions  of  duty  in  rela- 
tion to  preparing  himself  for  the  work  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  But  all  unknown  to  him  at  the  time, 
among  the  latest  of  his  dying  grand-father's  prayers, 
was  the  fervent  petition,  that  his  favorite  grandson, 
and  namesake,  might  become  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
and  fill  the  place,  as  a  public  servant  of  Jesus,  tvhich 
was  about  to  be  made  vacant  by  his  own  death.  His 
brother,  too,  was  every  day  praying  that  his  atten- 
tion might  be  turned  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  minis- 
try. His  brother  seemed  unwilling,  that  they,  who 
had  been  so  completely  one,  up  to  that  period,  should 
now  be  separated,  even  in  the  solemn  work  of  the 
ministry  of  reconciliation.  But  a  whole  year  elapsed, 
as  has  been  stated,  after  that  baptismal  occasion,  in 


16  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

which  ne  was  a  most  interested  participant,  before  he 
felt  the  slightest  impressions  of  duty  in  regard  to 
preaching.  On  a  pleasant  Sunday  in  November,  1827, 
just  one  year  after  his  baptism,  he  visited  the  old 
moss-covered  church  in  which  he  had  first  related  pub- 
licly what  he  thought  the  Lord  had  done  for  his  soul, 
and  the  stream  in  which  he  had  been  buried  with  his 
Lord  in  baptism ;  and  heaxd  an  excellent  gospel  sermon 
from  the  lips  of  the  eloquent  man  of  God,  who,  one 
year  before,  had  baptized  him  into  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit — we 
refer  to  the  sainted  Elder  Leonard  Fletcher — and  then 
rode  home,  a  distance  of  some  thirteen  miles  from  the 
place  of  worship.  There  was  then  no  Baptist  church 
at  the  County  seat ;  and  his  father,  and  mother,  and 
sister  retained  their  membership  in  the  old  mother 
church  in  Wantage.  And  this  accounts  for  the  fact 
that  his  brother  and  himself  went  so  far  to  unite  with 
that  venerable  church — the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Wantage. 

On  his  arrival  at  home  that  evening,  he  was  reading 
the  Bible,  when  all  suddenly  the  thought  occurred  to 
him  :  Now  shut  the  book,  and  then  holding  its  lids  in  a 
perpendicular  position,  let  it  open  of  itself,  and  you 
will  find  some  important  instruction  right  there.  Fol- 
lowing this  singular  impulse,  he  placed  the  Bible  in  the 
prescribed  position,  and  let  it  open  of  its  own  accord. 
It  opened  to  the  thirty-third  chapter  of  the  prophecy 
of  Ezekiel.  He  read  as  follows:  "Son  of  man,  speak 
to  the  children  of  thy  people,  and  say  unto  them, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  17 

when  I  bring  the  sword  upon  the  land,  if  the  people 
of  the  land  take  a  man  of  their  coasts,  and  set  him 
for  their  watchman :  If  when  he  seeth  the  sword  come 
upon  the  land,  he  blow  the  trumpet,  and  warn  the 
people :  Then  whosoever  heareth  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet,  and  taketh  not  warning ;  if  the  sword  come 
and  take  him  away,  his  blood  shall  be  upon  his  own 
head.  He  heard  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  and  took 
not  warning;  his  blood  shall  be  upon  him.  But  he 
that  taketh  warning  shall  deliver  his  soul.  But  if  the 
watchman  see  the  sword  come,  and  blow  not  the 
trumpet,  and  the  people  be  not  warned  ;  if  the  sword 
come,  and  take  any  person  from  among  them,  he  is 
taken  away  in  his  iniquit}r ;  but  his  blood  will  I  re- 
quire at  the  watchman's  hand. 

SO  THOU,  O  SON  OF  MAN,  I  HAVE  SET  THEE 
A  WATCHMAN  UNTO  THE  HOUSE  OF  ISRAEL  ; 
THEREFORE  THOU  SHALT  HEA&  THE  WORD 
AT  MY  MOUTH,  AND  WARN  THEM  FROM  ME. 
WHEN  I  SAY  UNTO  THE  WICKED,  O  WICKED 
MAN,  THOU  SHALT  SURELY  DIE;  IF  THOU 
-DOST  NOT  SPEAK  TO  WARN  THE  WICKED 
FROM  HIS  WAY,  THAT  WICKED  MAN  SHALL 
DIE  IN  HIS  INIQUITY  ;  BUT  HIS  BLOOD  WILL  I 
REQUIRE  AT  THINE  HAND.  NEVERTHELESS, 
IF  THOU  WARN  THE  WICKED  OF  HIS  WAY  TO 
TURN  FROM  IT;  IF  H£  DO  NOT  TURN  FROM 
HIS  WAY,  HE  SHALL  DIE  IN  HIS  INIQUITY; 
BUT  THOU  HAST  DELIVERED  THY  SOUL." 
Ezekiel33,  2-9. 


18  1JEMIXISCENCES  AND    INCIDENTS 

These  last  three  verses,  we  have  put  in  large  Capitals, 
because  if  they  had  been  uttered  by  an  audible  voice 
from  heaven,  they  could  scarcely  have  made  a  deeper 
impression  upon  his  mind;  and  it  seemed  as  if  they 
were  intended  especially  for  him.  They  shocked 
him.  Could  it'  be  possible,  he  thought,  that  God 
intended,  in  this  manner,  to  turn  his  attention  to  the 
subject  of  preparing  for  the  gospel  ministry?  He 
was  alarmed,  distressed.  He  immediately,  on  con- 
cluding the  chapter,  laid  down  the  book,  and  sought  a 
place  of  secret  meditation  and  prayer.  He  thought  of 
the  solemnity  of  the  work,  the  fearful  responsibility 
of  the  position,  and  his  total  unfitness  for  this  holy 
calling ;  and  he  felt  that  the  impression  which  had  thus 
been  made  upon  his  mind  must  be  utterly  erroneous. 
So  remote  was  his  location  from  the  church,  and  so 
unpropitious  the  circumstances  by  which  he  was  sur- 
rounded after  hi's  conversion,  that  he  had  not  exercised 
his  gifts,  even  in  public  prayer  and  exhortation.  How 
then  could  it  be  his  duty  to  try  to  preach  the  gospel? 
And  then,  too,  his  father's  attention  was  almost  exclu- 
sively devoted  to  the  duties  of  his  office ;  his  oldest 
brother  had  gone  to  the  Seminary ;  his  other  brothers 
were  too  young  to  assist  much  in  the  management  of 
the  farm  ;  and  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  continue  in 
charge  of  that  part  of  his  father's  business,  until  the 
next  son  should  be  old  enough  to  manage  it  properly 
in  his  stead.  And  besides  all  this,  the  cherished  pur- 
pose of  his  life  would  be  frustrated,  if  he  should  be- 
come a  preacher.  All  these  objections  arose  at  once 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  19 

in  his  mind,  against  the  entertaining  of  any  serious 
impressions  of  duty  in  that  direction.  And,  then,  ob- 
jections arising  from  a  sense  of  inability,  and  a  fear 
of  dishonoring  the  cause,  by  an  attempt  to  preach  the 
gospel  in  his  weakness  and  inexperience,  had  even  more 
weight  on  his  mind,  than  all  the  other  considerations 
named.  He  had  a  perfect  horror  of  undertaking  any- 
thing for  which  he  thought  he  was  not  qualified.  Such 
considerations  as  these,  and  many  others  which  might 
be  enumerated,  operated  to  dissuade  him  from  seriously 
considering  the  subject ;  and  he  determined  to  dismiss 
it  from  his  mind  at  once  and  forever.  But  it  would 
not  be  thus  ignored.  The  words  of  God  to  the  Pro- 
phet, "SO  THOU,  O  SOX  OF  MAN,  I  HAVE  SET  THEE  A 
WATCHMAN  UNTO  THE  HOUSE  OF  ISRAEL  ;  THEREFORE 
THOU  SHALT  HEAR  THE  WORD  AT  MY  MOUTH,  AND  WARN 

THEM  FROM  ME,"  seemed  to  burn  into  the  very  core  of 
his  heart ;  and  the  curse  denounced  against  the  watch- 
man if  the  people  were  not  warned,  and  they  should 
perish  in  their  iniquity,  seemed  constantly  to  impend 
over  his  head.  His  trouble  of  mind  became  so  great, 
in  relation  to  this  matter,  that  he  had  no  rest,  neither 
day  nor  night,  until  he  finally  consented  to  lay  himself 
as  a  holocaust  upon  the  altar  of  duty,  and  do  the  bid- 
ding of  the  Master,  whatever  it  might  be.  When  he 
did  that,  and  so  long  as  he  kept  that  purpose,  he  had 
great  peace  of  mind ;  but  just  as  soon  as  he  would  be- 
gin to  say,' in  his  heart,  "Lord,  all  but  the  duty  of 
preaching — anything,  everything,  Lord,  but  this" — 
that  very  moment  his  peace  was  gone.  Nor  did  he 


20  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

ever  again  enjoy  the  sweet  consciousness  of  the  Divine 
approbation  and  blessing,  until  he  could  say  in  his 
heart,  "Speak  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth."  "Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do!"  Anything,  every- 
thing, my  blessed  Lord,  for  thee  !  And  he  could  say 
with  the  poet : 

"But  if  I  might  make  some  reserve. 

And  duty  did  not  call ; 
I  love  my  Lord  with  zeal  so  great. 

That  I  should  give  him  all." 

And  he  made  right  there  and  then  a  perfect  sur- 
render of  himself  to  the  dictates  of  duty. 

From  that  time,  the  duty  of  preparing  for  the  re- 
sponsible work  of  an  Ambassador  of  Christ  seemed 
very  clear  to  his  mind.  And  when  the  question  of 
duty  was  fully  settled,  he  stopped  not  to  confer  with 
flesh  and  blood,  but  immediately  resumed  his  studies 
where  he  left  off  in  the  village  Academy  ;  and  at  the 
same  time  he  began  to  exercise  his  gifts  in  prayer  and 
exhortation,  in  the  social  gatherings  of  God's  people. 

In  the  spring  of  1828,  he  was  called  to  exercise  his 
gifts  before  the  church,  with  a  view  to  the  obtaining 
of  a  license  to  preach.  His  trial  sermon  was  from  the 
text,  "So  Christ  was  once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of 
many  ;  and  unto  them  that  look  for  him  shall  he  ap- 
pear the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation." 
Heb.  9  :  28.  The  .church,  as  a  body,  was  not  much 
in  favor  of  learned  preachers,  at  that  time  ;  although 
the  excellent  and  eloquent  pastor,  and  some  of  the 
members  of  the  church,  were  persons  of  culture,  and 
were  warm  advocates  of  ministerial  education.  Most 


OP  A  LONG  LITE.  21 

of  the  members  were  especially  opposed  to  the  use  of 
notes  in  the  pulpit ;  and  as  his  object  was  to  obtain  a 
license  to  preach,  that  he  might  repair  at  onco  to  the 
Institution  with  which  his  brother  was  connected,  with 
a  view  to  pursuing  a  full  literary  and  theological 
course,  he  did  not  dare  to  show  any  notes  on  that  oc- 
casion, or  seem  over  anxious  to  obtain  permission  to 
go  to  the  Seminary.  But  whatever  the  sermon,  or 
exhortation  was,  it  seemed  satisfactory  to  the  church, 
and  the  license  was  granted.  In  the  month  of  May, 
1828,  he  set  out  for  the  Seminary,  which,  after  a 
tedious  journey  of  about  a  week  by  steamboat,  canal 
boat,  and  stage  coach,  he  reached  in  health  and 
safety  ;  and  immediately  entered  upon  his  prescribed 
course  of  studies.  He  was  very  much  pleased  with 
everything  connected  with  the  Institution.  The 
buildings  were  new  and  commodious;  and  the  fare 
at  the  boarding-house  was  healthful  and  abundant. 
The  elevated  site,  overlooking  the  beautiful  village  of 
Hamilton,  as  it  spread  itself  out  on  the  fercile  plains 
below ;  the  health-giving  waters  of  the  never  failing 
spring,  gushing  out  of  the  side  of  the  hill;  and  the 
beautiful  groves  adjacent,  all  served  to  make  it  a 
desirable  location  as  a  seat  of  learning.  Indeed,  one 
could  almost  imagine,  as  he  ascended  the  steep  hill 
from  the  village,  that  he  was  really  climbing  the 
'heights  of  Parnassus,  and  as  he  paused  to  slake  his 
thirst  with  the  cool  beverage  of  the  bubbling  spring, 
that  he  was  actually  imbibing  the  sweet  waters  of 
Helicon.  The  corriculum  of  studies  was  also  all  that 


22  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

the  exigencies  required.  Elder  Nathaniel  Kendrick, 
D.  D.,  was  the  honored  head  of  the  faculty,  and 
Professors  Hascall,  Whitman  and  Sears  were  his 
efficient  co-workers  in  the  department  of  instruction. 
Prof.  Sears  has  since  risen  to  the  highest  positions  in 
the  Eepublic  of  Letters  ;  first,  as  Superintendent  of  the 
educational  interests  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts; 
then  as  President  of  Brown  University ;  and  then  as 
general  agent  of  the  Peabody  Fund  for  the  extension 
of  general  education  throughout  the  South. 

This  was  a  period  of  great  interest  in  the  history  of 
the  Baptists  of  America.  Some  of  the  strorfgest  men 
that  ever  occupied  the  pulpits  of  Baptist  churches  in 
this  country,  were  then  filling  the  pulpits  or  occupy- 
ing important  positions  in  the  principal  cities.  In 
Boston,  Dr.  Daniel  Sharpe,  Dr.  Barron  Stow,  Dr. 
Francis  Wayland,  Dr.  Lucius  Bolles,  Dr.  Solomau 
Peck,  and  Profs.  Chase  and  Knowles  Avere  the 
prominent  ministers  of  that  city.  In  New  York, 
Dr.  Spencer  H.  Cone,  Dr.  Archibald  Maclay,  Dr, 
W.  E.  Williams  and  Dr.  Geo.  G.  Sommers  and 
others  were  conspicious  at  the  time.  In  Albany, 
Dr.  B.  T.  Welch  was  then  in  his  full  strength,  tower- 
ing above  every  other  minister  in  the  city  by  the  power 
of  his  entrancing  eloquence.  In  Troy,  Dr.  B.  M.  Hill 
was  exerting  a  commanding  influence,  as  pastor  of  the 
first  Baptist  church  of  that  city.  In  Rochester,  Dr. 
Pharceilus  Church  was  rising  to  celebrity.  In  Buffalo, 
Dr.  Elisha  Tucker  was  deservedly  popular.  In  Phila- 
delphia, Dr.  W.  T.  Brantly,  Sr.,  Dr.  John  L.  Dagg 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  23 

and  Rev.  Mr.  Ashton,  were  the  most  prominent 
ministers.  In  Washington  City,  Rev.  O.  B.  Brown 
was  then  prominent.  In  Richmond,  Dr.  ,T.  B.  Jeter 
and  Dr.  J.  B.  Taylor  were  the  moat  conspicious  minis- 
ters. In  Charleston,  Dr.  James  Furman,  and  sub- 
sequently, Dr.  Basil  Manly,  were  the  mo. '  eminent 
ministers  of  that  city.  Dr.  W.  B.  Johnson,  of  Edge- 
field,  was  also  prominent  at  that  time.  Indeed,  he  was 
President  for  some  years  of  the  Triennial  Convention. 
But  time  would  fail  us  should  we  attempt  to  speak  of 
Andrew  Broadus,  of  A.  W.  Clopton,  of  Win.  C.  Buck, 
of  Alfred  Bennett,  of  John  M.  Peck,  of  Dr.  A.  Sher- 
wood, of  Jesse  Mercer,  of  John  Peck,  and  a  host  of  other 
noble  worthies,  who  were  then  moulding  the  masses  of 
our  people,  North  and  South,  and  diffusing  the  spirit 
of  missions,  of  education,  and  of  self-denying'effort  to 
propagate  the  truth  throughout  the  world.  Mr.  T., 
therefore,  came  upon  the  stage,  at  a  very  eventful 
period  in  the  history  of  the  denomination.  He  was 
born  and  reared  in  the  midst  of  anti-missionary 
Baptists,  and  anti-effort  men  generally,  in  relation  to 
all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  day.  Elder 
Gilbert  Beebee,  editor  of  the  SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES, 
lived  in  the  County  adjoining  that  in  which  he  was 
born  and  reared ;  and  he  belonged  to  the  same  As- 
sociation with  Mr.  Beebee  for  several  years.  The 
first  conflict  he  ever  had  with  Elder  Beebee,  was  at  a 
meeting  of  the  old  Warwick  Association,  on  a  report 
of  a  committee  recommending  the  Sunday-school 
cause.  He  advocated  the  report;  Beebee  opposed 


24  REMINISCENCES  AXD  INCIDENTS 

it.  Most  of  the  preaching  in  that  vicinity,  at  that 
time,  was  by  uneducated  ministers,  and  was"  hyper- 
Calvinistic  to  the  last  degree.  One  familiar  with  their 
style  of  preaching,  could  almost  furnish  a  synopsis  of 
the  discourse  before  he  heard  it.  The  theme  was 
usually  about  as  follows:  "God  has  had  a.  people 
from  all  eternity ;  he  calls  them  by  his  irresistible 
grace,  in  time  ;  causes  them  to  persevere  in  grace,  by 
his  Almighty  power  ;  and  then  takes  them  to  heaven 
at  last."  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  hear  these 
ministers  say  that  they  had  no  gospel  for  unconverted 
sinners ;  and  then  bless  God  that  their  sleeves  had 
never  touched  the  college  walls  :  thus  glorying  in  their 
shame.  But  the  grand-father  of  Mr.  T.  and  the  Rev. 
Leonard  Fletcher,  the  former,  pastor  of  the  Hamburg 
church,1  and  the  latter,  pastor  of  the  first  Baptist 
church  of  Wantage,  and  Rev.  J.  D.  Murphy  were 
men  of  education ;  and  their  doctrinal  views  cor- 
responded, in  the  main,  with  those  of  the  venerable 
Andrew  Fuller,  of  England.  They  were  the  working 
men  of  that  section.  But  they  were  bitterly  de- 
nounced by  Beebee,  and  Trott,  and  Harding,  et  id 
omne genus,  as  college-bred,  man-made  preachers;  and 
their  doctrinal  views  were  regarded  by  the  anti-no- 
mians  around  them  as  heretical  in  the  last  degree.  But 
in  the  course  of  time,  a  remarkable  change  took  place 
in  that  vicinity,  in  the  doctrinal  teachings  of  the  pul- 
pit ;  and  also  in  relation  to  the  benevolent  operations 
of  the  day.  Rev.  John  Teasdale,  after  leaving  the 
Seminary,  settled  with  the  Hamburg  church — the 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  25 

church  over  which  his  honored  grand-father  had  so 
long  presided  as  bishop  ;  and  others  of  education  and 
correct  theological  views  came  in  and  settled  among  the 
churches  in  the  vicinity  ;  and  a  new  order  of  things 
was  soon  inaugurated.  A  number  of  the  churches 
withdrew  from,  the  old  Warwick  Association,  which 
had  become  essentially  an  anti-mission  body,  and 
formed  a  new  association,  which  was  called  the 
Sussex  Baptist  Association.  This  body,  being  formed 
on  the -principle  of  elective  affinity,  enjoyed  great  har- 
mony and  prosperity.  Missions,  and  Sunday-schools, 
and  education,  and  temperance,  received  the  hearty 
support  of  this  association  ;  and  the  anti-mission  senti- 
ment was  soon  extensively  supplanted  in  all  that 
region.  Ono  of  the  first  sermons  preached  before 
this  association,  was  that  delivered  by  Rev.  John 
Teasdale,  on  the  groundless  assumption  of  the  so- 
called  Primitive  Baptists,  as  to  their  ancient  origin. 
He  showed  that  their  distinctive  principles  were  of 
very  modern  date,  and  traced  them  through  authentic 
documents  and  associational  Minutes  to  their  ignoble 
beginning.  That  sermon  was  printed  in  the  Minutes 
of  the  association,  and  ought  to  be  carefully  preserved 
among  the  archives  of  that  organization.  It  evinces 
considerable  research ;  and  it  may  be  of  essential 
benefit  to  some  future  historian,  who  may  desire  to 
show  the  recent  origin  of  this  heretical  sect. 

The  intended  course  of  Mr.  T.  at  the  Seminary  was 
interrupted  by  ill  health.  During  a  winter  vacation 
of  the  Seminary,  he  spent  thr.e  months  in  preaching 


26  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

for  the  little  Baptist  church  at  Bethany,  Pa.,  and  a 
country  church  some  eight  miles  from  the  village.  He 
found  the  church  at  Bethany  in  a  very  low  condition  ; 
but  he  left  it  greatly  revived  and  strengthened.  When 
he  went  there  the  Baptists  were  holding  their  meet- 
ings, when  they  held  any,  in  the  village  academy. 
Soon  that  building  would  not  accommodate  the  congre- 
gation, and  they  removed  to  the  Court  House.  This 
spacious  room  was  soon  filled ;  and  on  the  last  day  he 
preached  there,  prior  to  his  return  to  the  Seminary,  it 
was  impossible  to  seat  all  the  people  who  came  to  hear 
the  closing  sermon  of  the  boy  preacher  ;  for  such  he 
was  then  termed  in  all  that  region.  He  was  but 
twenty  years  of  age  ;  and  being  small  in  stature,  and 
of  a  ruddy  countenance,  he  was  taken  to  be  younger 
than  he  really  was.  The  people  came  for  twelve  miles 
around  the  village  to  hear  his  preaching.  The  winter 
he  spent  in  Bethany  was  a  severely  cold  one ;  and  as 
he  had  to  travel  back  and  forth  to  his  country  church, 
and  to  meet  other  appointments  which  he  was  con- 
stantly urged  to  make,  he  got  an  excellent  pair  of 
boots  made  to  order  by  one  of  his  Deacons,  and  also 
a  pair  of  leather  overshoes.  In  that  way  his  feet  were 
kept  dry  and  warm  in  the  coldest  weather.  But  on 
the  day  when  he  preached  his  closing  sermon  to  the 
great  crowd,  he  forgot,  or  neglected,  to  put  on  his 
overshoes.  He  became  very  warm  in  preaching;  and 
going  out  afterwards,  and  standing  on  the  snow  for 
some  time,  receiving  the  adieus  of  the  people  from  the 
country,  without  his  overshoes,  he  contracted  a  cold 


OF  A  LONG  LITE.  27 

which  seriously  affected  his  throat,  and  caused  the 
small  tissues  of  the  throat  to  exude  a  little  blood  oc- 
casionally. He  became  alarmed  at  this  state  of  things; 
and  finally  sometime  afterwards  he  left  the  Seminary 
to  recruit  his  health.  This  accounts  for  his  not  re- 
maining to  complete  his  full  course  at  the  Seminary. 
He  has  often  wondered  greatly,  what  there  was  in 
his  crude  performances  at  that  early  period,  that  could 
attract  such  crowds  of  people  wherever  he  went  to 
listen  to  his  discourses.  It  gave  him  great  anxiety, 
lest  he  should  fail  to  meet  the  high  expectations  of  the 
people,  and  dishonor  his  blessed  Master.  And  it  has 
been  a  remarkable  fact  in  his  whole  ministerial  life, 
that  he  has,  almost  all  the  time,  been  so  situated,  that, 
to  meet  public  expectation,  he  has  had  to  exert  him- 
self to  his  utmost  capacity.  His  .first  pastorate  was  in 
Bennington,  Vt.  Then  he  spent  four  years  in  the  city 
of  Philadelphia,  and  vicinity.  Then,  subsequently,  he 
was  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  which  brought  him  for  five  years  under  the 
eaves  of  that  great  University — Yale  College — and 
into  competition  with  the  learned  Professors  of  that 
Institution  ,  and  the  eminent  pastors  of  the  other  de- 
nominations in  that  beautiful  city.  Then  he  spent  five 
years  as  pastor  of  the  principal  Baptist  church  in  the 
great  iron  city — the  City  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.  After- 
wards he  spent  two  years  as  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  in  Springfield,  the  Capitol  of  the  great 
Prairie  State,  Illinois.  Then  he  went  to  Washington 
City,  where  he  spent,  in  the  pastorate,  nearly  seven 


28  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

years.  And  then  he  went  to  Columbus,  Miss.,  where 
he  found  in  his  church  and  congregation  several  of 
the  ablest  lawyers  in  the  State  ;  together  with  doctors, 
and  merchants,  and  wealthy  planters,  of  high  culture. 
So  that,  to  meet  the  expectations  of  his  hearers  in  all 
these  congregations,  it  kept  him  constantly  under  severe 
tension.  For  whatever  expansion  of  mind,  and  success 
as  a  preacher  he  has  ever  attained,  he  is  indebted,  un- 
der God,  in  great  measure  he  thinks,  to  these  cir- 
cumstances. 


OP  A  LON£  LIFE.  29 


CHAPTER  II. 


Late  in  the  fall  of  1830,  he  concluded  to  accept  the  call 
of  the  East  Bennington  Church,  Vt. ;  and  he  entered  up- 
on the  duties  of  the  pastorate  there  without  delay.  The 
church  had  recently  erected  a  very  commodious  house 
of  worship,  in  a  central  part  of  the  town.  He  was 
as  yet  utiordained.  His  brother,  who  was  then  the 
newly  elected  pastor  of  the  Hamburg  Church,  in 
New  Jersey,  was  very  anxious  that  they  should  be  or- 
dained together.  They  had  united  with  the  same 
church,  at  the  same  time;  had  been  baptized  by  the 
same  minister,  on  the  same  day  ;  had  been  licensed  to 
preach  by  the  same  church  ;  and  had  studied  at  the 
same  Seminary,  and  he  was  anxious  that  they  should 
be  ordained  at  the  same  time,  and  by  the  laying  on  of 
the  hands  of  the  same  Presbytery.  Accordingly,  he 
repaired  to  his  native  County,  in  New  Jersey  ;  and  on 
the  16th  day  of  December,  1830,  he  was,  in  connec- 
tion with  his  beloved  brother,  John  Teasdale,  fully  in- 
ducted into  the  gospel  ministry,  by  the  laying  on  of 
hands  and  prayer.  It  was  difficult  to  find  a  Presbytery 
in  the  vicinity  to  aid  Elder  Leonard  Fletcher  in  the 
ordination  services.  The  ministers  all  around  were 
uneducated  men,  and  violently  opposed  to  college- 


30  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

bred  ministers.  They  regarded  these  candidates,  too, 
as  being  unsound  in  the  faith,  because  they  taught, 
that,  although  God  was  a  Sovereign,  he  was  not  an  Al- 
mighty tyrant ;  and  that,  although  man  was  entirely 
dependent,  he  was  not  a  mere  machine.  In  a  word, 
because  they  taught  the  same  fundamental  truths  now 
held  and  taught  by  the  great  body  of  American  Bap- 
tists, and  which  are  essentially  embodied  in  the  New 
Hampshire  articles,  as  prepared  by  the  late  Dr.  J. 
Newton  Brown,  these  anti-nomian  ministers  considered 
the  Teasdales  as  very  unsound  in  the  faith  ;  and  they 
refused  to  lay  hands  on  such  heretics.  After  the 
death  of  Elder  Thomas  Teasdale,  Sr.,  Elder  Leonard 
Fletcher  was  the  only  minister  in  the  vicinity  who 
sympathized  with  the  candidates  in  their  views  of 
Bible  doctrine,  who  favored  an  educated  ministry.  This 
made  it  necessary  to  send  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  a  distance 
of  forty  miles,  to  get  two  ministers  from  that  city  to 
aid  Elder  Fletcher  in  the  ordination  of  the  candidates. 
Elders  Platt  and  Anderson  came  cheerfully  to  his  aid, 
and  the  ordination  occurred  in  the  Hamburg  Church, 
on  the  day  above  mentioned. 

Immediately  after  his  ordination,  Elder  T.  returned 
to  Bennington,  and  devoted  himself  wholly  to  the 
duties  of  his  pastorate.  He  entered  upon  his  work 
with  all  the  ardor  of  his  natural  temperament;  with 
all  the  fervor  of  his  youthful  enthusiasm  ;  and  with  all 
the  devotion  of  his  loving  and  grateful  heart.  Nor 
did  he  labor  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  Soon  after  the  com- 
mencement of  his  pastoral  labors  with  that  church,  the 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  31 

Lord  honored  his  endeavors,  and  a  precious  work  of 
grace  was  enjoyed.  The  graces  of  Christians  were 
greatly  quickened,  and  many  sinners  were  hopefully 
converted. 

!fwo  or  three  incidents  in  connection  with  this 
blessed  work  deserve  a  passing  notice.  An  interest- 
ing and  intelligent  young  lady  professed  conversion, 
and  seemed  to  be  exquisitely  happy-  Only  a  day  or 
two  afterwards,  she  got  terribly  into  the  dark,  and 
doubted  her  conversion  altogether.  This  was  a  new 
case  to  the  young  and  inexperienced  pastor ;  but  he 
succeeded  at  length  in  convincing  her  that  her  doubts 
were  without  any  just  foundation,  and  she  came  again 
into  the  full  blaze  of  gospel  light,  and  could  then  read 
her  "title  clear  to  mansions  in  the  skies."  This  same 
young  lady  was  very  deeply  convicted  of  sin,  and  be- 
came perfectly  penitent  and  submissive  before  her  con- 
version. One  night  an  invitation  was  given  for  the 
anxious  to  come  forward  and  occupy  specified  seats, 
that  they  might  be  conversed  with  personally  and 
prayed  for  specifically.  The  meetings  were  held  during 
the  week  nights,  in  the  village  Academy.  There  was 
a  large  stove  in  the  center  of  the  room.  This 
young  lady  said  that  she  was  so  anxious  about 
her  soul's  salvation,  and  so  filled  with  self-abasement, 
that  if  the  minister  had  invited  her  to  take  a  seat 
on  the  hearth  of  the  stove,  there  being  no  fire 
in  the  stove,  she  would  have  done  it.  She  came 
to  feel  that  she  had  no  longer  any  way  or  will  of 
her  own.  She  made  a  consistent  and  useful  mem- 


REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

ber  of  the  church,  as  may  well  be  supposed. 
Another  incident  in  connection  with  this  interesting 
revival  may  also  be  mentioned.  A  select  school  was 
taught  in  the  upper  part  of  the  village  by  a  very  pious 
and  excellent  young  lady,  a  daughter  of  one  of  the 
deacons  of  the  church.  She  had  twelve  or  fourteen 
girls  connected  with  her  school  that  were  about  twelve 
years  old,  and  very  nearly  the  same  size.  These  little 
girls  became  deeply  interested  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion ;  and  their  teacher  observed  that  during  every 
noon  recess,  they  would  go  off  by  themselves  into  a 
neighboring  grove.  This  was  done  for  several  days 
in  succession.  As  soon  as  the  noon  recess  commenced, 
they  would  leave  all  the  other  pupils,  and  go  off  by 
themselves  into  the  grove.  The  teacher  concluded 
that  she  would  ascertain,  if  possible,  what  it  was  that 
attracted  them  to  the  grove  every  day  so  regularly. 
She,  therefore,  quietly  and  softly  stole  along  to  their 
chosen  bower,  unobserved  ;  and  she  found  them  en- 
gaged in  a  prayer-meeting.  The  result  was  that  the 
pastor  very  soon  afterwards  baptized  into  the  fellow- 
ship of  his  church  the  whole  of  the  little  crowd.  They 
gave  the  most  entire  satisfaction  of  a  thorough  change 
of  heart,  and  were  welcomed  to  the  fellowship  of  the 
church  with  great  joy. 

And  yet  another  incident  occurred  during  that 
precious  work  of  grace,  that  must  not  be  overlooked. 
Many  young  and  interesting  people  of  both  sexes  were 
being  converted  and  brought  into  the  church.  But 
there  was  one  young  man  who  seemed  to  be  totally  un- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  33 

moved  by  all  that  was  passing  around  him.  He  was 
a  young  lawyer  of  considerable  promise.  The  pastor 
felt  a  deep  interest  in  his  spiritual  welfare,  and  looked 
with  anxiety  to  see  him  evincing  some  concern  about 
his  soul's  sajvation.  But  as  he  continued  apparently 
indifferent  to  the  whole  matter,  the  pastor  concluded 
that  he  would  call  to  see  him  in  his  office,  and  talk 
with  him  privately  on  the  subject  of  his  personal  sal- 
vation. He  did  so;  and,  as  he  desired,  found  him, 
at  the  time,  without  clients  to  interrupt  the  interview. 
After  the  usual  salutations,  the  pastor  introduced  the 
subject  of  personal  religion,  and  expressed  some  sur- 
piise,  that  while  so  many  of  his  young  associates  were 
embracing  religion,  he  should  appear  to  be  so  indif- 
ferent to  the  whole  matter.  The  younac  man  then  re- 

tf 

marked  that  he  was  in  doubt  as  to  the  divine  reality  of 
the  Christian  religion.  This  did  not  surprise  the  pas- 
tor, for  he  had  understood  that  he  professed  to  be 
somewhat  skeptical.  But  he  .went  on  to  say,  that  his 
difficulty  was  not  with  religion  in  record,  but  that  he 
was  stumbling  over  the  conduct  of  Christian  profes- 
sors. "Now,"  said  he,  * 'this  revival  has  been  going 
on  for  several  weeks,  and  many  have  professed  con- 
version. Members  of  the  church,  also,  profess  to  be 
greatly  revived.  But,  sir,  you  are  the  first  one  who 
has  said  a  word  tome  personally,  about  the  welfare  of 
my  soul,  since  the  revival  has  been  in  progress.  If 
my  office  should  take  fire  in  the  dead  of  night,  and  I 
should  be  in  danger  of  being  consumed  in  the  flames, 
there  is  not,  I  presume,  a  single  one  of  these  Christian 


34  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

people  who  would  not  rush  to  rescue  me  from  the  ad- 
vancing flames,  if  they  found  me  to  be  asleep  in  my 
adjoining  bed-room.  And  yet  they  profess  to  believe 
that  I  am  every  moment  exposed  to  the  flames  of  a 
quenchless  fire,  and  they  make  no  effort  ;to  save  me 
from  that  terrible  .destruction.  Can  they  really  be- 
lieve what  they  profess  to  believe?  Do  they  believe 
that  there  is  an  eternal  hell,  into  which  I  am  liable,  at 
any  time,  to  be  turned  ;  and  yet  make  no  effort  to  de- 
liver me  from  going  to  that  place  of  torment?  Why, 
sir;  if  I  believed  as  they  profess  to  believe,  I  could  not 
rest  and  see  my  neighbors  going  down  to  hell,  without 
an  earnest  effort  to  save  them  from  the  death  that 
never  dies.  Sir,  I  would  get  down  on  my  knees  on 
the  side- walk  here  in  front  of  my  office,  and,  with 
streaming  tears,  entreat  every  impenitent  passer-by  to 
make  his  peace  with  God  without  delay.  How  can  I 
reconcile  the  conduct  of  these  Christian  professors, 
with  their  solemn  profession?','  Such  was  the  strain 
in  which  he  went  on  to  show  the  gross  inconsistences 
of  professors  of  religion ;  and  the  pastor  could  but 
blush  for  their  remissness  in  duty,  and  their  neglect  of 
this  man's  soul.  What  could  lie  say  in  reply?  He 
could  only  say  :  "Well,  my  dear  friend,  religion  is  a 
divine  reality,  notwithstanding  the  misconduct  of  some 
of  its  professed  friends.  And  suppose  you  and  I  take 
up  the  trailing  banner  of  the  cross,  and  wave  it  on 
high,  and  thus  set  an,  example  ourselves  as  to  how 
Christians  should  live."  This  occurrence  has  been  an 
important  lesson  to  the  then  young  pastor  during  all 


OF  A  LOXG  LIFE.  35 

his  long  life  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  ;  and  he  has 
often  adverted  to  it  with  profit  to  neglectful  professors 
of  religion. 

During  his  pastorate  at  Bennington,  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Miss  Delia  Lottridgc,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Kobert  Lottridge,  a  well-to-do  famcr,  residing 
in  the  vicinity  of  Hoosick  Falls,  Rensalaer  County, 
N.  Y. ;  and  ho  was  married  to  her  on  the  16th  day 
of  November,  1831.  On  the  very  day  of  his  marriage, 
Mrs.  Norton,  with  whom  he  was  then  boarding  in  Ben- 
nington, while  on  her  way  to  the  wedding,  with  several 
other  friends  from  Bennington,  received  the  sad  intel- 
ligence of  the  death  of  her  husband.  He  had  been  in 

O 

bad  health  for  some  little  time,  and  was  very  low  spir- 
ited, amounting  at  times  to  absolute  melancholy.  He 
was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  ;  and  his  affairs 
were  in  good  condition.  He  was  a  fine  business  man, 
and  a  very  efficient  member  of  the  church.  Elder  T. 
boarded  in  his  family,  and  therefore  he  knew  him  in- 
timately, and  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  piety. 
It  was  thought  it  might  give  a  spring  to  his  mind  to 
have  him  accompany  his  brother  to  New  York,  to  lay 
in  their  winter  goods.  Accordingly  he  went  with  his 
brother  to  New  York,  and  he  seemed  to  take  hold  of 
business  with  some  spirit.  But  on  their  return  on 
the  steamer,  going  up  the  Hudson  river,  he  managed 
to  elude  the  care  of  his  brother,  and  jumped  over- 
board, in  the  night,  and  was  drowned.  His  body  was 
subsequently  recovered,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery 
in  Bennington.  But  oh  !  what  woe  the  death  of  that 


36  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

excellent  husband  and  father  brought  into  that  home. 
He  left  a  most  affectionate  wife,  and  several  lovely 
children  to  mourn  his  irreparable  loss.  Elder  T.  felt 
the  loss  of  his  host  and  intimate  friend  very  deeply  ; 
and  he  could  sympathize  with  the  bereaved  family  to 
the  fullest  extent,  in  the  great  affliction  that  had  be- 
fallen them. 

During  Elder  T.'s  pastorate  in  Beunington,  he  was 
invited  to  assist  several  neighboring  ministering  breth- 
ren in  their  annual  protracted  meetings.  While  he 
was  assisting  Elder  Mattison,  of  West  Shatfsbury,  in 
his  meeting,  an  incident  occurred  that  he  never  has 
forgotten.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  the 
meeting,  and  many  sought  and  found  the  Savior  pre- 
cious to  their  souls.  On  one  occasion  the  anxious 
were  invited  to  come  forward  for  special  prayers,  and 
a  considerable  number  came  forward  at  once,  and  oc- 
cupied the  seats  designated  for  enquiring  sinners. 
There  was  a  moment's  pause  ;  and  a  venerable  gentle- 
man in  the  congregation  arose,  his  white  locks  stream- 
ing in  the  summer's  breeze,  and  said,  with  deep 
emotion,  "Well,  if  there  are  no  more  young  people 
to  go  forward,  I  will  go;"  and  he  came  forward  and 
took  his  seat  among  the  inquirers.  That  venerable  man 
was  Ex-Governor  Galusha.  He  was  personally  known, 
perhaps,  to  every  individual  in  that  vast  assembly, 
and  his  example  induced  many  others  to  come  forward 
for  prayers,  and  seek  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 

In  a  meeting  at  Arlington,  some  fourteen  miles 
north  of  Bennington,  the  following  incident  occurred: 


Or  A  LONG  LIFE.  3V 

Protracted  meetings  at  that  time,  usually  lasted  three 
or  four  days.  A  four  days'  meeting  was  considered  a 
long  meeting.  On  the  first  day  of  those  meetings, 
the  sermons  were  almost  uniformly  addressed  to  Chris- 
tians, and  their  most  obvious  delinquencies  were  point- 
ed out.  A  season  of  humiliation,  and  prayer,  and 
confession  followed.  On  the  second  day,  at  the  close 
of  the  morning  sermon,  an  opportunity  was  usually 
given,  for  the  presentation  of  requests  for  special 
prayer  for  unconverted  friends.  It  was  so  on  this  oc- 
casion, and  quite  a  number  of  requests  for  special 
prayer  for  children,  and  companions,  and  dear  friends 
yet  out  of  Christ,  were  presented  and  carried  to  the 
throne  of  grace  in  fervent  prayer.  At  length  there 
was  a  moment's  pause  in  these  exercises;  and  in  the 
midst  of  that  solemn  pause,  a  lady  arose  in  the  con- 
gregation, clad  in  weeds  of  deep  mourning,  and  said: 
"I  have  a  dear  son,  the  only  sou  of  his  widowed 
mother,  for  whom  I  beg  an  interest  in  your  prayers.  I 
have  tried  to  pray  for  him,  and  with  him;  and  this 
morning  I  besought  him,  in  my  tears,  to  come  with  me 
to  the  meeting.  But  I  could  not  induce  him  to  come 
with  me;  and  now,  while  we  are  all  here  in  the  house 
of  God,  he  is  away  off  in  the  field  plowing.  Oh !  will 
you  pray  for  my  poor  boy?  and  in  her  tears  she  sat 
down.  A  season  of  prayer  was  immediately  had  for  the 
widow's  son.  The  scene  is  all  as  fresh  in  the  memory 
of  Dr.  T.  as  if  it  had  occurred  but  yesterday.  Three 
prayers  were  offered  in  succession,  before  the  people 
arose  from  their  knees  ;  and  they  were  offered  specially 


38  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

for  that  dear  boy.  Everything  else  seemed  to  be  held 
in  obeyance,  and  the  case  of  the  widow's  son  was  the 
one  absorbing  interest  in  those  prayers.  It  was  ear- 
nestly supplicated  that  God  would  arrest  him  imme- 
diately where  he  was ;  lead  him  to  consider  his  latter 
end  ;  and  induce  him  to  seek  the  salvation  of  his  soul 
without  longer  delay.  Well,  while  the  people  in  the 
house  of  God  were  thus  praying  for  him,  and  he  was 
following  his  plow  far  away,  a  solemn  sedateness  came 
over  his  mind ;  a  peculiar  sadness  sat  brooding  over 
his  spirits  ;  the  knell  of  eternity  sounded  a  note  of 
alarm  in  his  ears  to  which  he  had  not  been  accustomed  ; 
and  an  unaccountable  impression  rested  on  his  mind 
that  all  was  not  well  with  him.  He  thought  of  his 
sins,  of  his  widowed  mother's  prayers  and  tears  in  his 
behalf ;  and  of  the  calls  of  grace  and  mercy  which  he 
had  so  often  slighted ;  and  he  began  to  tremble  in  view 
of  his  wretched  and  guilty  condition  as  an  unpardoned 
sinner.  He  soon  grew  weak  ;  and  stopping  his  team, 
he  sat  down  on  the  beam  of  his  plow  and  wept  bitterly. 
While  he  was  sitting  there  weeping,  he  was  made  to 
feel  that  if  he  drove  his  team  to  the  end  of  the  furrow, 
without  giving  his  heart  to  Christ,  he  would  be  forever 
lost.  He,  therefore,  turned  out  his  team  right  where 
they  were,  and  wended  his  way  to  the  nearest  Chris- 
tian's house.  They  had  just  gotten  home  from  church. 
As  he  came  in  with  his  head  bowed  down,  and  the 
tears  rolling  down  his  cheeks,  he  said,  "Oh  !  is  there  a 
Christian  here  that  can  pray  for  a  poor  sinner?  If  so, 
will  he  pray  for  me?"  And  he  threw  himself  on  his 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  30 

knees  in  the  deepest  distress.  Prayers  were  offered 
for  him  ;  and  before  that  meeting  came  to  a  close,  the 
Christians  who  hud  prayed  for  him  so  fervently,  at  his 
mother's  special  request,  were  permitted  to  see  him  in 
the  house  of  God,  rejoicing  in  a  new  born  hope  of 
heaven.  This  was  one  of  the  most  striking  answers 
to  special  prayer  Elder  T.  had  then  ever  witnessed  ; 
and  it  made  an  indelible  impression  upon  his  mind. 
He  has  often  adverted  to  this  incident  in  his  revival 
meetings,  with  the  happiest  effect. 

Still  another  incident  occurred,  while  he  was  assist- 
ing the  pastor  of  the  church  at  Shaf tsbury  Center,  in 
his  annual  meeting.  He  was  invited  to  take  tea  with 
a  sister  of  the  church,  whose  husband,  though  a  mem- 
ber of  the  choir,  and  a  regular  attendant  upon  all  the 
meetings,  was  an  unconverted  man.  Elder  T.  had 
taken  a  little  stroll  down  the  principal  street  of  the 
village  before  supper  time.  When  he  returned  he 
stepped  quietly  into  the  parlor,  and  he  overheard  the 
fervent,  wrestling  prayer  of  that  anxious  Christian 
wife  for  the  conversion  of  her  dear  husband .  As  he 
listened  to  her  importunate  pleading  in  prayer  in  be- 
half of  her  husband,  he  determined,  right  there,  that 
he  would  evermore  be  the  advocate  of  the  cause  of 
Christian  wives  for  the  conversion  of  their  husbands. 
And  he  has  never  forgotten  that  solemn  vow,  which  he 
made  in  the  parlor  of  that  sister,  while  she  was  agon- 
izing for  the  conversion  of  her  affectionate  husband. 
Hundreds  of  unconverted  husbands  have  been  led  to 
Jesus  for  salvation,  though  his  instrumentality  since 


40  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS      , 

that  ever  memorable  occasion ;  and  he  hopes   to  win 
many  more  husbands  to  Jesus  before  he  dies. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  41 


CHAPTER  III. 


In  the  Spring  of  1832,  Elder  T.  received  a  call  as 
city  missionary,  in  Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  and  he  removed 
to  that  city,  with  his  youthful  bride,  in  the  month  of 
May,  of  that  year.  His  first  attempt  at  housekeeping 
was  in  that  city.  Rev.  Ira  M.  Allen  was  then  Secre- 
tary of  the  Baptist  General  Tract  Society,  whose  head- 
quarters were  in  Philadelphia.  That  Society  has 
grown  to  be  the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society,* 
which  is  located  on  Chestnut  Street,  between  14th  and 
15th  Streets,  in  that  city.  As  neither  Mr.  Allen  nor 
himself  had  then  any  children,  they  concluded  that 
one  house  would  accommodate  both  their  small  fami- 
lies ;  and  accordingly  they  rented  the  house  on  Wood 
Street,  above  7th  street,  in  which  the  lamented  Noah 
Davis  had  formerly  lived.  Things  moved  on  smoothly 
and  pleasantly,  until  the  Asiatic  Cholera  made  its  ad- 
vent for  the  first  time  in  this  country.  It  appeared 
first  in  New  York  City,  in  the  summer  of  1832,  and 
spread  rapidly  over  the  country.  It  reached  Phila- 
delphia soon  after  it  assumed  an  epidemic  form  in  New 
York  ;  and  it  created  a  wonderful  panic  in  the  city,  as 
it  did,  indeed,  in  all  the  cities  in  which  it  prevailed. 
Elder  T.'s  father  insisted  that  he  should  bring  his 


42  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

wife,  and  come  and  spend  the  time  during  the  preva- 
lence of  the  epidemic  at  his  home  in  Sussex  County, 
N.  J.  By  appointment  his  father  met  him,  and  his 
wife,  and  his  wife's  sister,  at  a  designated  place  about 
twenty  miles  from  Philadelphia,  and  carried  them  to 
to  his  hospitable  home,  and  made  them  very  happy 
during  their  exile  from  the  city  of  brotherly  love. 

While  they  were  staying  at  his  father's  house,  his 
wife  gave  birth  to  their  first  child,  who  made  his  ad- 
vent into  this  world  of  ours,  on  the  16th  day  of  Sep- 
tember, 1832.  Both  mother  and  child  were  spared  to 
him  ;  and  his  heart  was  full  of  gratitude  to  the  Giver 
of  every  good  and  perfect  gift,  in  the  favor  shown  to 
him  on  this  occasion. 

i 

During  his  detention  in  the  country,  he  assisted  his 
brother  John  in  a  series  of  religious  meetings,  which 
were  held  in  his  church  at  LaFayette,  Sussex  County, 
N.  J.  The  meetings  were  very  much  blessed,  and 
quite  a  number  were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism. 
Among  the  number  of  those  baptized  were  a  beloved 
brother-in-law,  and  a  very  dear  uncle.  His  uncle  had 
been  indulging  hope  in  Christ  for  fourteen  years. 
When  he  was  first  converted,  he  enjoyed  a  comfortable 
assurance  of  his  acceptance  with  God,  and  went  to 
the  Church  meeting  that  month  with  the  intention  of 
joining  the  church  at  that  time.  But  when  he  got  to 
the  meeting,  although  he  was  feeling  very  well  satis- 
fied with  the  change  which  he  had  experienced,  Satan 
suggested  to  him  that  he  had  better  wait  a  month 

OO 

longer  before  he  united  with  the  church,  and  see  how 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  43 

he  would  feel  then  about  this  matter.  He  yielded  to 
this  suggestion  of  Satan,  our  great  Adversary,  and 
concluded  to  wait  a  month  longer  before  ho  joined  the 
church.  When  the  next  monthly  meeting  came  round, 
he  began  to  doubt  a  little,  and  he  thought  it  would  not 
do  to  join  the  church  with  any  doubts  in  his  mind; 
and,  therefore,  he  concluded  to  wait  another  month. 
And  the  longer  he  waited  the  more  he  doubted  ;  until 
at  length  he  became  a  chronic  doubter.  His  wife  was 
a  member  of  the  church  at  the  time  of  his  conversion  ; 
and  several  of  his  children  had  joined  the  church  at 
different  times  afterwards;  but,  although  he  always 
rejoiced  to  see  others,  and  especially  members  of  his 
own  family,  coming  out  and  making  a  public  profes- 
sion of  religion,  yet  he  never  had  been  made  to  feel, 
after  his  postponement  of  duty  at  first,  that  he  was 
worthy  of  a  place  in  the  Church  of  Christ  himself. 
He  had  passed  through  revival  after  revival,  and  was 
always  glad  to  see  the  work  of  the  Lord  prosper ;  but 
he  could  not  be  made  to  feel  that  it  was  his  duty  to 
identify  himself  with  the  people  of  God  by  a  public 
profession  of  his  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  And  so  he  had 
continued  to  put  off  this  matter  until  the  time  of  that 
meeting.  Elder  T.  and  his  brother  felt  a  very  deep 
interest  in  his  case.  They  had  no  doubt  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  join  the  church.  And  that  was  the  feeling 
of  all  who  knew  him.  They,  therefore,  determined  to 
get  him  into  the  water  during  that  meeting  if  possible. 
They  entered  into  a  sort  of  holy  conspiracy  against 
him,  in  the  matter  of  his  guilty  delay;  and  they  de- 


44  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

termined  to  leave  no  stone  unturned  in  their  efforts  to 
convince  him  of  his  duty,  and  induce  him  to  perform 
it.  Well,  without  going  into  the  details  of  their  efforts 
to  accomplish  their  purpose,  suffice  it  to  say,  that  at 
length  they  got  him  to  consent  to  submit  his  case  to 
the  church,  after  he  should  have  made  a  full  statement 
of  his  condition  to  them,  as  he  understood  it.  Ac- 
cordingly he  went  before  the  church  and  mude  his 
statement;  and  then  he  begged  the  church  to  be  faith- 
ful to  him  ;  and  if  they  had  any  doubts  about  his  being 
a  suitable  candidate  for  baptism  and  subsequent  church 
fellowship,  to  tell  .him  so  honestly;  for  he  did  not 
want  to  be  deceived  about  this  matter.  He  was  re- 
ceived by  acclamation  ;  and  there  was  great  joy  on  that 
occasion  that  Capt.  Cox  had  at  last  consented  to  per- 
form a  long  neglected  duty .  His  wife  and  children 
were  filled  with  joy  unspeakable,  over  this  long  desired 
event.  He  was,  himself,  a  much  happier  man,  in  hav- 
ing taken  one  step  in  the  way  of  obedience  ;  and  he 
went  home  from  the  meeting  rejoicing. 

But  on  Sunday  morning  he  began  to  doubt  again; 
and  when  he  came  into  the  house,  after  looking  to  the 
wants  of  his  stock,  he  said  to  his  wife,  in  doleful 
tones:  "Wife,  you  need  not  prepare  my  clothes  for 
my  baptism  to-day.  I  am  too  much  in  the  dark.  I 
cannot  go  forward  without  more  light."  His  wife 
requested  him  to  go  on  and  see  the  pastor,  who  lived  on 
the  way  to  the  church,  and  converse  with  him,  and 
perhaps  he  might  feel  better ;  and  when  they  came 
along  with  the  carriage  on  their  way  to  church,  they 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  45  . 

would  stop  at  the  pastor's  and  he  could  get  into  the 
carriage  there,  and  ride  with  them  to  the  meeting- 
house. He  took  the  advice  of  his  wife,  and  went  to 
see  the  pastor.  When  he  had  made  his  doleful  state- 
ment to  the  pastor,  he  replied  to  him  by  saying  : 
"Now  uncle,  the  devil  is  after  you  again.  He  has 
been  worrying  3^011  for  the  last  fourteen  years,  and  he 
is  not  willing  to  give  you  up  yet.  These  doubts  and 
this  darkness  are  the  result  of  Satan's  influence  over 
you.  You  must  not  yield  now,  sir.  Why,  dear  sir, 
you  cannot  back  out  now.  You  submitted  your  case 
yesterday  to  the  church ;  and  they  said  unanimously 
that  they  believed  it  was  your  duty  and  your  privilege 
to  join  the  church.  The  whole  community  expect  to 
see  you  baptized  to-day;  and  there  must  be,  and  there 
can  be  no  backing  out  now.  I  do  insist,  sir,  most 
positively,  that  you  shall  be  baptized  to-day."  So  he 
found  no  food  for  his  doubts  and  hesitancy  in  that 
quarter.  His  family  then  came  along,  and  he  rode 
with  them  to  the  meeting-house.  Elder  T.  officiated 
that  morning;  and  after  the  sermon,  and  when  the 
candidates  were  about  to  prepare  for  baptism,  he 
said  to  Capt.  Cox,  "Well  uncle,  come,  get  ready,  sir, 
for  the  baptism;"  and  he  began  with  his  excuses,  as  of 
old;  but  he  told  him,  as  his  brother,  the  pastor,  had 
done,  that  this  was  the  work  of  the  devil  to  keep  him 
from  tho  discharge  of  his  duty  still ;  and  he  could  not 
consent,  for  a  moment,  to  any  postponement,  on  any 
account.  And  when  he  was  pressed  into  a  corner, 
he  said :  "I  told  my  wife  this  morning  that  she  need 


A(y  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

not  bring  my  clothes  ;  that  I  was  so  much  in  the  dark, 
and  had  so  many  doubts,  that  I  could  not  be  baptized 
to-day."  He  thought  then  he  certainly  had  a  good 
excuse  for  delay.  But  just  then  his  wife  spoke  up 
and  said:  "Husband,  I  brought  your  clothes  along 
in  the  carriage  ;  I  thought  you  would  feel  better,  and 
then  you  would  need  them."  When  his  last  excuse 
was  cut  off,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  get  ready  for 
baptism.  He  went  all  the  way  down  to  the  water  in 
a  very  sad  mood;  but  while  the  prayer  was  f being 
made  at  the  water  side,  Satan  seemed  to  let  go  of  him, 
and  he  was  very  happy.  He  enjoyed  the  ordinance 
very  much  ;  and  always  afterwards  thanked  Elder  T. 
and  his  brother,  for  the  part  which  they  had  taken  in 
inducing  him  to  perform  that  long  neglected  duty. 
The  brother-in-law  of  Elder  T.,  who  was  converted  in 
that  meeting,  died  some  four  years  afterwards  in  the 
triumph  of  faith. 

Soon  after  the  birth  of  his  child,  Elder  T.  re- 
turned to  Philadelphia  to  resume  his  mission 
work.  His  wife  was  left  at  his  father's  to  ac- 
company his  brother  John  to  Hightstown,  in  Novem- 
ber, who  was  expecting  to  attend  the  anniversary 
meeting  of  the  Baptist  State  Convention,  of  New 
Jersey,  which  met  there  that  year.  He  accordingly 
brought  Elder  T.'s  wife  and  the  young  babe  with  him 
to  the  Convention.  Elder  T.  met  them  there,  and 
conducted  them  to  Philadelphia. 

One  of  the  mission  stations  under  the  care  of  Elder 
T.  in  Philadelphia,  was  located  on  the  Schuylkill,  in 


OF  A  LONG  LIFK.  47 

the  western  part  of  the  city.  The  Baptists  had  a 
room  there,  in  which  they  held  a  Sabbath- school,  and 
in  which,  also,  prayer-meetings  and  other  religious 
services  were  conducted.  Thos.  U.  Walter  Esq., 
then  a  promising  and  rising  young  architect  in  the 
city,  used  to  accompany  the  missionary  to  the  mission 
station,  and  assist  him  in  conducting  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  in  singing,  etc.  Mr.  Walter  afterwards 
rose  to  the  highest  distinction  in  his  profession.  He 
competed  with  the  celebrated  Strickland,  and  other 
eminent  architects,  in  drawing  the  plans  for  the  cele- 
brated Girard  College,  and  bore  off  the  palm.  Subse- 
quently he  was  appointed  United  States  Architect ; 
and  the  present  elegant  National  Capitol  is  the  pro- 
duct of  his  genius.  To  take  the  old  incommodious 
structure,  and  add  to  it  two  large  wings,  and  place 
upon  it  a  dome  of  proper  proportions,  and  make  the 
whole  seem,  when  it  was  completed,  as  if  the  original 
design  had  just  been  consummated,  was  a  triumph  of 
genius,  which  of  itself  was  sufficient  to  immortalize 
the  distinguished  artist.  Other  national  structures 
were  erected  under  his  direction  ;  and  the  whole  of  his 
work  as  United  States'  Architect,  erected  a  monument 
to  his  extraordinary  genius,  more  brilliant  than  polish- 
ed brass,  and  more  lasting  than  Parian  marble. 

Elder  T.  held  a  series  of  meetings  during  the  autumn 
of  1832,  at  this  mission  station,  which  was  greatly 
blessed,  and  quite  a  number  of  joyful  converts  were 
baptized  into  the  death  of  Christ  as  the  result.  An 
incident  illustrative  of  prevailing  prayer  occurred  dur- 


48  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

ing  that  meeting.  The  wife  of  a  mechanic  in  the 
vicinity  was  converted,  and  she  became  very  anxious 
for  the  conversion  of  her  husband.  She  presented 
him  as  an  object  of  special  prayer  one  morning  in  the 
meeting.  He  had  business  that  day  in  Haddonfield, 
N.  J.,  eight  miles  from  the  city,  and  started  out  there 
to  accomplish  it.  On  his  way,  and  while  prayer  was 
being  made  for  him  in  the  meeting,  he  felt  an  ,  unac- 
countable impression  that  all  was  not  well  at  home,  and 
that  he  must  turn  back.  And  with  his  journey  half 
accomplished  he  returned  to  the  city ;  came  to  the 
meeting  ;  and  very  soon  afterwards  Elder  T.  had  the 
satisfaction  of  leading  him  and  his  wife  arm  in  arm 
down  into  the  waters  of  the  Schuylkill,  and  burying 
them  with  their  blessed  Lord  in  Baptism.  About  a 
year  after  Elder  T.'s  removal  to  Philadelphia,  the 
Central  Union  Baptist  Association  was  formed,  and  he 
was  elected  Corresponding  Secretary,  and  general 
Evangelist  of  that  body.  While  engaged  in  this  capac- 
ity, he  assisted  a  number  of  the  pastors,  whose  churches 
had  united  with  the  new  Association,  in  protracted 
meetings  with  their  respective  churches.  Amongst 
this  number  were  the  churches  at  Frankfort,  Holmes- 
burg,  Great  Valley,  Hepzibah,  Phoenix ville,  Chester, 
Windsor,  Camden,  N.  J.,  and  others.  In  every  in- 
stance his  labors  were  greatly  blessed.  He  also  assist- 
ed Rev.  D.  A.  Nichols,  of  Roxborough,  six  miles  from 
the  city  then,  but  now  a  part  of  that  great  city,  in  a 
series  of  interesting  meetings.  A  large  number  of 
souls — probably  sixty  or  seventy — professed  conversion 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  49 

in  that  meeting.  An  incident  or  two  occurred  during 
this  meeting  which  it  may  he  well  to  note.  On  one 
occasion,  when,  as  usual,  a  large  number  of  penitents 
came  forward  for  prayers,  there  happened  to  be  twelve 
very  interesting  young  ladies,  occupy  ing  the  front  seat, 
extending  from  aisle  to  aisle.  It  was  an  interesting 
spectacle  to  see  so  many  young  ladies,  so  nearly  of  the 
same  size  and  age,  occupying  the  same  seat  for  prayers, 
and  evincing  so  deep  a  concern  about  the  salvation  of 
their  souls.  Whilst  others  wrere  conversing  with  the 
rest  of  the  inquirers,  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  Elder  T.  to 
converse  with  these  young  ladies.  He  began  at  one 
end  of  the  bench  and  conversed  with  two  of  the  young 
ladies,  and  tried  to  point  them  to  the  Lamb  of  God 
that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world ;  and  when  he 
came  to  the  third  one  on  the  seat,  she  said  to  him,  in 
very  solemn  tones,  "Oh !  sir,  will  3rou  pray  for  me?" 
He  thought  there  was  something  peculiar  in  the  re- 
quest; and  in  order  to  bring  the  young  lady  out  more 
fully,  he  said,  "Yes,  Miss,  we  will  pray  for  you  all  as 
soon  as  the  song  is  completed."  Then  she  said,  "Oh! 
sir,  I  want  you  to  pray  for  me.*'  He  replied.  "Well 
Miss,  if  you  will  solemnly  promise  to  give  your  heart 
to  Jesus,  right  here  and  now,  I  will  pray  for  you,  and 
you  will  be  converted."  After  a  few  second's  solemn 
pause,  she  said  in  tones  of  the  utmost  decision,  "I 
will,  sir."  Prayer  was  immediately  made  for  her,  and 
she  arose  rejoicing.  Then  the  young  lady  sitting  next 
to  her  said,  "Will  you  pray  so  for  me?"  He  said  to 
her,  "On  the  same  terms,  Miss.  If  you  will  promise 


50  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

to  give  your  heart  to  Jesus  at  once,  I  will  pray  for  you, 
and  you  will  be  converted."  She  replied,  "I  will, 
sir."  Prayer  was  then  offered  for  her,  and  she  arose 
rejoicing  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  And  so  it 
went  on,  until  every  one  had  been  prayed  for,  separate- 
ly, at  her  own  request ;  and  every  one  of  them  pro- 
fessed conversion  on  that  interesting  occasion.  The 
prayers  were  all  very  short,  occupying  on  an  average 
less  than  two  minutes  a  piece  ;  and  yet  every  prayer 
was  answered  in  the  immediate  conversion  of  a  soul. 
Many  years  afterwards  Elder  T.  met  the  pastor,  Rev. 
D.  A.  Nichols,  and  inquired  how  those  twelve  young 
ladies  had  held  out.  And  he  said  "not  one  of  them 
has  gone  back  to  the  weak  and  beggarly  elements  of 
the  world.  Every  one  of  them  is  still  honoring  her 
Christian  profession-,  and  traveling  on  to  God." 

After  the  meeting  there  had  been  going  for  some 
weeks,  Elder  T.  preached,  on  one  Sunday  night, 
what  was  intended  to  be  the  closing  sermon  of  the 
series,  from  the  text  in  Jeremiah  viii.  20:  "The 
harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is  ended,  and  we  are  not 
saved."  The  impression  made  on  the  occasion  was  so 
deep  and  so  general,  that  it  was  thought  it  would  be 
very  improper  to  close  the  meeting  under  such  a  state 
of  religious  interest ;  and  the  meeting  went  on  another 
week.  On  the  following  Sunday  night,  he  preached  the 
closing  sermon  from  John  vii.  37.  "In  the  last  day,  that 
great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying 
If  any  man  thirst  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink." 
While  he  was  winding  up  the  discussion,  and  when  he 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  51 

was  making  a  very  close  application  of  the  subject,  a 
young  man  arose  in  the  densely  crowded  assembly, 
and  started  towards  the  door.  The  doors  of  the 
church  were  in  front,  and  the  pulpit  was  between  the 
doors.  So  that  persons  coming  in  or  going  out,  must 
pass  by  the  pulpit.  The  aisles  were  crowded  with 
persons  standing  on  that  occasion.  Elder  T.  did  not 
know  what  the  object  of  the  young  man  was  in 
leaving  his  seat  at  that  very  solemn  moment.  His 
eye  rested  on  him  with  interest  as  he  worked  his 
way  down  the  crowded  aisle.  When  he  came  op- 
posite to  the  platform  before  the  pulpit,  he  turned 
out  of  the  aisle,  and  came  directly  in  front  of  the 
pulpit,  and  threw  himself  on  his  knees,  and  begged 
Christians  to  pray  for  him.  Elder  T.  closed  his  re- 
marks at  once,  saying,  that  this  was  a  sufficient  ap- 
plication of  the  subject;  and  then  invited  all  others 
who  desired  an  interest  in  the  prayers  of  Christians 
to  come  forward.  A  large  number  went  forward  im- 
mediately, and  it  really  seemed  hard  to  close  the  meet- 
ing amidst  so  much  existing  interest,  and  while  so 
many  souls  were  still  requesting  an  interest  in  the 
prayers  of  God's  people  for  their  salvation. 

In  the  Autumn  of  1833,  he  assisted  in  a  series  of 
meetings  in  a  newly  constituted  church  in  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  called  the  Windsor  Baptist  Church. 
This  was  also  a  great  meeting.  During  the  progress 
of  the  meeting,  one  of  the  preachers  said  to  him  :  "I 
wish  you  would  preach  on  the  text,  'Come  out  from 
among  them,  and  be  ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and 


52  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

touch  not  the  unclean  thing;  and  T  will  receive  you, 
And  will  be  a  Father  unto  you,  and  ye  shall  be  my 
sons  and  daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Almighty.'  '  2 
Cor.  vi.  17,  18.  Elder  T.  told  him  that  he  had  never 
preached  on  that  text;  and  that  he  did  not  remember, 
at  the  moment,  where  it  was  to  be  found.  But  he 
told  the  brother  to  go  on  with  the  prayer-meeting  a  few 
minutes  longer,  and  he  would  step  into  the  pulpit  and, 
see  if  he  could  turn  readily  to  the  passage  ;  and  then 
he  would  determine  whether  he  would  venture  to  try 
to  preach  from  it  or  not.  Accordingly  he  went  into 
the  pulpit;  turned  to  the  passage  ;  and  in  five  minutes 
the  subject  so  opened  to  his  mind  that  he  determined 
to  preach  from  it.  If  he  had  had  a  week  to  study  the 
sermon,  he  could  not  have  had  a  clearer  view  of  the 
subject,  or  preached  with  greater  ease  than  he  did  on 
that  occasion.  The  reason  why  the  brother  had  re- 
quested him  to  preach  on  that  passage  was  that  quite  a 
number  were  indulging  hope  in  Christ,  who  seemed  dis- 
inclined, from  various  causes,  to  make  a  public  profes- 
sion of  religion.  The  sermon  had  the  desired  effect 
on  that  class ;  and  tjie  very  next  day,  twenty-two  souls 
came  out  and  made  a  public  profession  of  their  faith 
in  Christ,  and  were  immediately  baptized  into  his 
death. 

During  the  same  meeting,  when  a  very  large  num- 
ber of  persons  were  coming  forward  for  prayers,  and 
when  many  were  being  converted  in  almost  every 
meeting,  Elder  T.  remarked  one  night,  as  he  was  con- 
versing with  the  penitents,  that  he  ought  to  rejoice 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  53 

because  he  found  members  of  the  church  were  being 
converted.  He  did  not  say  of  what  church.  But 
when  he  made  that  remark,  a  young  woman,  stand- 
ing in  the  crowded  aisle,  spoke  with  a  loud  voice,  and 
said,  as  she  supposed  he  referred  to  :i  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  who  was  among  the  inquirers: 
"She  had  as  much  religion  before  as  she  has  now. 
And  what  is  it  to  commit  the  unpardonable  sin,  but 
to  baptize  them  over  again?"  He  turned  to  the  young 
woman  and  inquired  of  her,  if  she  thought  she  was  a 
Christian.  She  replied  very  angrily:  "I  have  as 
much  religion  as  you  have."  Then  he  told  her  plain- 
ly, that  he  feared  she  was  in  the  gall  of  bitterness, 
and  in  the  bonds  of  iniquity ;  and  that  if  she  did  not 
repent  and  turn  to  God  for  salvation,  she  would  be 
forever  lost.  And  he  said  :  "I  must  pray  for  you." 
He  bowed  at  once  in  the  aisle,  and  prayed  fervently 
for  the  poor,  deluded  girl.  She  was  so  filled  with 
wrath  that  she  would ,  it  was  thought,  have  trampled 
the  minister  under  her  feet,  had  she  not  been  re- 
strained by  Christian  friends  around  her.  The  poor 
girl  found  out  afterwards  that  she  had  no  religion,  sure 
enough;  and  it  was  hoped  that  she  finally  sought  and 
found  an  interest  in  the  peace-speaking  blood  of  Jesus, 
and  was  saved. 

During  that  same  autumn,  he,  and  several  other 
ministers,  amongst  whom  may  be  mentioned,  Rev.  Dr, 
W.  T.  Brantly,  Sr.,  Rev.  Leonard  Fletcher,  Rev.  Geo. 
I.  Miles,  Rev.'  D.  A.  Nichols  and  Rev.  W.  S.  Hall 
held  a  meeting  of  days  in  West  Chester,  Pa.  The 


54  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Baptists  had  never  had  a  church  in  that  pleasant  and 
thriving  Borough.  They  had  a  church  about  two 
miles  out  of  town,  called  Bethesda  Church.  But  it 
was  thought  that  an  effort  should  be  made  to  get  up  a 
church  in  the  village  ;  and  such  an  effort  was  deter- 
mined on  immediately.  The  prominent  brethren 
associated  with  Elder  T.  in  this  effort,  took  turns  in 
the  labors  of  the  meeting.  The  meeting  lasted  several 
weeks,  and  was  a  grand  success.  It  was  deemed 
necessary  to  organize  the  numerous  converts  into  a 
church,  and  Elder  T.  was  requested  to  take  charge  of 
that  work.  He,  therefore,  remained,  and  gathered 
the  converts  together,  and  organized  them  into  a 
church,  which  w:is  publicly  recognized  early  in  the 
year  of  1834.  He  was  then  invited  to  take  charge  of 
the  church  ;  and  in  order  to  give  the  new  interest  a 
good  start,  he  consented  to  serve  the  church  one  year. 
At  the  same  time  he  preached  to  the  Windsor  church, 
twice  a  month.  But  when  he  preached  at  the  Wind- 
sor church  on  Sunday  morning,  he  rode  into  West 
Chester  and  preached  at  night ;  so  that  there  was 
preaching  once  every  Sunday  in  West  Chester,  and 
most  of  the  time  twice.  The  church  continued  to 
prosper  ;  and  at  the  close  of  Dr.  T.'s  engagement  with 
it,  Rev.  Geo.  I.  Miles  was  called  to  the  pastorate. 
It  continued*to  prosper;  soon  built  a  commodious 
meeting-house  ;  and  has  gone  on  advancing  until  it  has 
at  length  become  two  bands  ;  each  of  which  has  an  ex- 

O  * 

cellent  church  edifice,  and  a  large  and  efficient  member- 
ship ;  especially  the  First  Church. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  55 

While  a  resident  of  West  Chester,  his  second  child 
was  born.  He  had  then  a  son  and  daughter  ;  and  he 
felt  himself  rich  with  such  treasures. 

Near  the  close  of  the  year  of  1834,  he  received  a 
call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Baptist  church  of  Camden, 
N.  J. ;  and  at  the  commencement  of  the  year  of  1835, 
he  entered  upon  his  duties  as  pastor  of  that  church. 
And  in  connection  with  his  pastoral  work  in  that  city, 
he  opened  a  boarding  and  day  school  for  young  ladies, 
which  proved  a  good  success.  He  remained  in  Cam- 
den  until  the  spring  of  1836,  when  he  sold  out  his 
school,  and  removed  to  Newton,  Sussex  County,  N. 
J.,  to  take  charge  of  the  Newton  High  School,  and 
preach  for  the  First  and  Second  Baptist  churches  of 
the  township  of  Newton — the  one  located  at  La  Fay ette, 
and  the  other  in  the  village,  some  five  miles  apart. 
He  succeeded  in  building  up  a  large  and  prosperous 
school ,  and  the  churches  under  his  care  wrere  greatly 
strengthened  during  his  pastorate  amongst  them. 
His  influence  in  the  New  Association,  which  had  been 
organized  only  two  or  three  years  before  he  removed 
to  Newton,  was  also  salutary.  Hs  acted  as  clerk  and 
corresponding  secretary  of  the  body  ;  and  of  course 
he  wrote  its  annual  reports,  and  superintended  the 
printing  of  its  minutes.  This  Association  was  called 
the  Sussex  Baptist  Association,  and  was  composed 
mainlj  of  the  churches  that  came  out  of  the  old 
Warwick  Association,  which  had  become  essentially 
anti-missionary  as  before  stated.  His  brother,  Rev. 
JohnTeasdale,  and  a  few  kindred  spirits,  were  instru- 


56  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

mental  in  organizing  the   Association,  and  making  it  a 
working,  missionary  body. 

During  his  sojourn  in  Newton,  Elder  T.  attended  a 
number  of  protracted  meetings,  and  assisted  the 
pastors  of  various  churches  very  materially  in  their 
work.  In  the  Winter  of  1840,  he  went  down  to  Pat- 
terson, N.  J.,  and  held  a  meeting  of  great  interest  in 
that  busy  city.  The  mills  there  continued  work  until 
so  late  an  hour  in  the  evening,  that  it  was  impossible 
for  the  operatives,  and  others  connected  with  those 
extensive  manufacturing  establishments,  to  get  their 
supper  and  get  to  church  before  8  o'clock.  So  the 
preaching  service  was  arranged  to  begin  at  that  hour. 
After  the  sermon,  the  congregation  was  regularly  dis- 
missed, and  all  who  desired  to  converse  with  the  min- 
isters, and  ask  for  special  prayer,  were  requested  to 
repair  immediately  to  the  Lecture  Room  below,  which 
was  lighted  and  warmed  for  the  purpose.  Very  soon 
the  number  of  inquirers  became  quite  numerous;  and 
frequently  it  got  to  be  10  o'clock  at  night  before  the 
inquiry  meetings  could  be  closed.  One  night  the  in- 
quiry meeting  was  peculiarly  interesting.  And  after 
that  excellent  meeting  had  been  dismissed,  fourteen 
anxious  penitents  still  remained,  and  begged  Christians 
to  continue  to  pray  for  them.  The  pastor,  Rev.  C.W. 
Dennison,  Rev.  Mr.  Bingham,  Elder  T.,  and  several 
brethren  and  sisters  of  the  church  remained,  and 
prayed  for  these  penitent  souls,  until  the  last  one  of 
the  fourteen  had  expressed  hope  in  Christ.  It  seemed 
that  every  prayer  offered  was  answered  in  the  conver- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  57 

sion  of  some  soul.  The  last  one  remaining  uncon- 
verted was  an  Infidel's  daughter.  Against  the  violent 
opposition  of  her  father,  this  girl  contrived  to  attend 
the  meeting,  and  became  deeply  anxious  about  the 
salvation  of  her  soul.  She  was  the  object  of  intense 
solicitude  at  that  stage  of  the  meeting.  Elder  T, 
knelt  by  her  side,  and  offered  a  very  fervent  praj'er 
for  her  immediate  conversion.  All  the  brethren  and 
sisters  present  joined  most  heartily  in  the  prayer.  Be- 
fore the  prayer  was  closed  she  found  Jesus  precious  to 
her  soul,  and  she  arose  to  tell  to  all  around,  what  a 
dear  Savior  she  had  found.  A  brother  present  who 
had  been  rather  tinctured  with  anti-nomianiam,  and 
had  not  entered  very  heartily  into  the  spirit  of  the 
meeting  before,  threw  himself  on  his  knees,  and  ex- 
claimed aloud,  "Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord  :  I 
have  never  seen  it  on  this  wise  before."  From  that 
time  that  brother  became  an  earnest  worker  in  the 
meeting ;  and  afterwards  he  entered  the  ministry,  and 
has  been  very  successful,  as  a  preacher  to  sailors,  in 
winning  souls  to  Jesus.  His  name  was  Perry. 

In  the  spring  of  1840,  Elder  T.  received  a  call 
from  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  the  city  of  New 
Haven,  Ct.,  to  become  its  pastor.  He  accepted  the 
call,  and  removed  to  that  city  the  first  of  April  of  that 
year.  He  Lad  then  four  children,  two  sons  having 
been  born  to  him  while  a  resident  of  Newton,  N.  J. 
There  was  now  opened  before  him  a  wide  field  of  use- 
fulness. The  city  then  numbered  between  fifteen 
thousand  and  twenty  thousand  inhabitants.  The  meet- 


58  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

ing  house  was  large,  containing  sittings  for  a  thousand 
people,  and  was  well  located  on  Chapel  Street,  which 
is  one  of  the  principal  streets  of  the  city.  The  church 
numbered  about  four  hundred  members  ;  and  the  con- 
gregations uniformly  filled  all  the  space  in  the  commo- 
dious meeting  house.  This  was  of  itself  very  inspirit- 
ing to  a  man  of  his  age ;  and  it  stimulated  him  to 
very  earnest  endeavors  to  meet  the  expectations  of  his 
large  and  intelligent  audience.  Then  to  all  this  was 
added  the  fact,  that  he  was  placed  under  the  eaves  of 
the  celebrated  Yale  College,  and  was  brought  into  con- 
tact with  its  able  faculty,  and  also  with  the  distinguish- 
ed ministers  who  occupied  the  pulpits  of  the  various 
churches  in  the  city.  It  was  a  pretty  severe  ordeal 
though  which  he  had  to  pass.  But,  by  earnest  effort, 
and  the  help  of  the  Lord,  he  was  enabled  to  meet  the 
exigencies  of  the  case,  and  sustain  himself  fully  in  the 
pastorate.  He  remained  in  New  Haven,  as  pastor  of 
the  church,  five  years;  and  it  was  a  good  schooling  to 
him  for  all  subsequent  life.  He  had  free  access  to  the 
extensive  University  Library  ;  and  was  invited  always 
to  attend  the  course  of  lectures  on  Chemistry,  by 
Prof.  Silliman;  and  the  lectures  of  the  different 
medical  Professors;  and  also  all  the  Lectures  in  The- 
ology and  Law. 

During  the  winter  of  1841,  Elder  Jacob  Knapp 
came  to  his  assistance  in  a  protracted  meeting,  which 
continued  seven  weeks.  It  was  a  wonderful  meeting, 
and  resulted  in  an  accession  to  the  several  churches  in 
the  city  of  over  six  hundred  converts.  Of  these  con- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  50 

verts  about  two  hundred  united  with  the  Baptist 
church.  Several  incidents  occurred  during  this  meet- 
ing which  are  deemed  worthy  of  note.  The  first  is, 
that  a  noted  gambler  in  the  city,  said  to  one  of  his 
associates  one  day,  that  he  would  go  forward  for 
prayers  himself  for  five  dollars.  His  comrade  said  he 
would  give  him  five  dollars  if  he  would  go  forward, 
and  let  Elder  Knapp  pray  for  him.  He  accepted  the 
wager  and  came  to  the  meeting.  The  pastor  and  Elder 
Knapp  had  been  informed  of  the  transaction,  and 
Elder  Knapp,  in  casting  his  keen  eye  over  the  audi- 
ence, thought  he  saw  the  gambler,  and  pointed  him 
out  to  the  pastor.  He  gave  gamblers  that  night  a 
severe  thrust ;  and  said  that  when  the  habit  had  be- 
come fixed,  the  confirmed  gambler  would  take  tho  sil- 
ver from  the  eyes  of  his  dead  wife  to  gratify  his  evil 
passion.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  the  anxious  were 
invited  forward  for  prayers.  At  that  time  the  interest 
in  the  meeting  was  so  great,  that  there  were  over  two 
hundred  persons  going  forward  for  prayers  every 
night ;  and  fully  that  number  went  forward  on  that  oc- 
casion. Elder  Knapp  worked  his  way  along  till  he 
came  to  the  seat  occupied  by  the  gambler.  He  soon 
found  out  that  his  suspicions  were  well  founded,  and 
that  this  was,  indeed,  the  very  man  who  had  been 
hired  to  come  forward  for  prayer.  He  went  to  the 
pastor  directly,  and  told  him  that  he  had  found  his 
man;  and  he  then  requested  the  pastor  to  lead  in 
prtiyer,  and  said  that  he  would  follow  him.  The  pas- 
tor prayed  very  fervently  for  the  numerous  anxious 


60  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

ones  who  were  there,  and  then  prayed  earnestly  for 
the  trifling  gambler.  When  he  had  concluded  his 
prayer,  Elder  Knapp  followed  in  one  of  the  most 
earnest  and  solemn  prayers  a  man  could  make.  Dur- 
ing his  prayer  he  depicted  the  gambler  in  all  his  moral 
deformity,  and  shook  him  over  hell,  till  one's  hair 
was  almost  ready  to  stand  on  end.  Soon  after  these 
prayers  were  concluded,  the  anxious  meeting  was 
closed.  The  gambler  then  came  up  to  Elder  Knapp, 
as  he  stood  near  the  pulpit,  and  said  to  him  :  "Elder 
Knapp,  how  do  you  value  your  time?  You  have  de- 
voted a  considerable  portion  of  it  to  me  to-night,  and 
I  want  to  pay  you  for  it."  Elder  Knapp  said,  iu  a 
perfectly  cool  manner,  "O,  sir,  my  time  is  invaluable. 
But  if  my  prayer  has  done  you  any  good,  you  are 
entirely  welcome  to  it."  So  nothing  more  of  impor- 
tance was  said,  and  the  gambler  went  out. 

The  next  morning,  as  the  pastor  went  to  the  pray- 
er and  inquiry  meeting  in  the  lecture  room,  at  10 
o'clock,  he  found  the  gambler  standing  at  the  gate 
leading  into  the  meeting-house  yard,  waiting  for  the 
coming  of  Elder  Knapp.  When  he  came,  the  gambler 
wanted  to  get  up  some  words  with  him,  but  Elder 
Knapp  would  not  stop  to  converse  with  him ,  but  told 
him  it  was  meeting  time,  and  urged  him  to  g-o  in  and 
he  would  pray  for  him.  The  gambler  found  that  he 
had  made  himself  the  butt  of  ridicule  in  the  com- 
munity, and  it  nettled  him  not  a  little.  The  more  he 
thought  of  it,  and  the  more  he  was  ridiculed,  the 
worse  he  felt.  He  at  length  became  very  angry,  and 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  61 

seemed  determined  on  revenge.  He  went  with  two 
or  three  of  his  comrades  to  the  pastor's  house  after 
meeting  one  night,  and  wanted  to  see  Elder  Knapp. 
The  pastor  told  him  that  Elder  Knapp  had  retired, 
and  must  not  be  disturbed.  Then,  on  another  oc- 
casion, a  carriage  drove  up  in  front  of  the  pastor's 
house,  in  the  dead  of  night,  and  the  parties  rang  the 
bell  of  the  door.  The  pastor  hoisted  a  front  window, 
and  inquired  what  was  wanting ;  and  they  said 
that  a  person  on  a  given  street,  was  in  deep  distress, 
and  wanted  Elder  Knapp  to  come  and  pray  for  him. 
The  pastor  knew  that  evil  was  intended  against  Elder 
Knapp,  and,  therefore,  told  them  very  peremptorily 
that  Elder  Knapp  could  not  go.  Foiled  in  every 
way  in  their  malicious  purposes  against  Elder  Knapp, 
they  determined  to  raise  a  mob,  and  assail  him 
when  he  left  the  church,  after  the  night  meeting 
had  closed.  Accordingly  they  put  up  notices  all 
over  the  city,  that  a  meeting  would  be  held  at  a 
given  hour  on  the  green,  to  organize  their  band. 
Elder  Knapp,  had  related  an  incident  which  occurred 
in  the  city  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  some  time  before 
while  he  was  holding  a  meeting  there,  respecting  the 
dispersion  of  a  mob  by  a  wonderfully  severe  thun- 
der storm ;  and  they  said  that  was  one  of  Knapp's 
lies.  Well,  at  the  very  time  fixed  for  the  gather- 
ing of  the  mob  on  the  green,  in  New  Haven,  there 
came  up,  very  suddenly,  a  cloud  which  impended 
directly  over  the  city,  and  extended  but  little  be- 
yond the  city  limits ;  arid  it  began  to  lighten  and 


<!2  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

thunder  in  the  most  terrific  manner.  The  lightning 
was  so  vivid,  that  the  people  in  the  church,  at  every 
succeeding  flash,  were  almost  ready  to  shriek  aloud 
from  fear ;  and  the  thunder  shook  the  very  foundations 
of  the  city.  There  have  been  but  few  instances  in  his 
life,  when  Elder  T.  has  seen  lightning  so  vivid,  and 
heard  thunder  so  loud.  The  storm  alarmed  the 
crowd,  and  they  dispersed  in  great  haste  ;  and  they 
said  that  Knapp  must  have  power  over  the  lightning 
and  thunder,  sure  enough.  So  the  purposes  of  this 
class  of  the  baser  sort  were  again  frustrated.  Soon 
afterwards,  Deacon  Sage,  of  Rochester,  happened 
along,  and  spent  a  night  in  New  Haven.  At  the  re- 
quest of  the  pastor,  he  made  a  statement  about  the 
dispersing  of  the  mob  in  his  city  ;  and  it  exactly  cor- 
roberated  the  statement  which  Elder  Knapp  had  made 
in  relation  to  it. 

Subsequently  Elder  Knapp  aroused  the  opposition 
of  certain  wicked  student*  in  the  College,  and  they  be- 
came desperate.  They  united  with  the  other  oppo- 
nents of  Elder  Knapp,  and  determined  to  have  revenge. 
So  they  gathered  in  great  numbers  in  the  street  near 
the  church,  one  night,  and  waited  for  him  to  come 
out.  But  at  the  suggestion  of  some  friends,  Elder 
Knapp  changed  his  cap  for  the  hat  of  a  friend,  and 
his  cloak  for  an  overcoat,  and  passed  directly  through 
the  crowd  without  being  recognized  or  suspected,  and 
reached  his  quarters  at  the  pastor's  house  without 
molestation.  But  when  the  mob  found  that  thev  had 

•f 

been  fooled,   they  made  a  rush  for   the  pastor's  resi- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  63 

dence.  When  the  pastor  saw  this,  he  rushed  through 
the  crowd,  and  got  upon  the  porch  of  his  dwelling, 
and  addressed  the  crowd  of  a  thousand  people,  per- 
haps, in  a  loud  voice.  At  first  the  rabble  were  not  in- 
clined to  hear  him,  but  directly  the  cry  went  round, 
"hear  him!  hear  him!"  The  Marshal  was  there  to 
read  the  riot  act,  and  command  the  mob  to  disperse. 
The  pastor  said  to  him  and  to  the  mob,  "let  me  speak  a 
few  words."  Silence  was  immediately  restored.  Then 
he  went  on  to  say  to  the  crowd  :  "For  myself,  or  for 
Elder  Knapp,  I  have  nothing  to  ask  of  you.  We  trust 
in  God,  and  our  God  is  able  to  deliver  us.  But  for 
the  sake  of  my  wife,  who  has  just  been  confined,  and 
is  in  a  delicate  state  ;  and  for  the  sake  of  a  very  sick 
child  whom  this  excitement  may  kill,  I  have  to  ask 
you  to  disperse  at  once,  without  further  noise  or  dis- 
turbance." Voices  all  over  the  crowd  were  imme- 
diately heard,  saying :  "Good  !  good  !"  and  the  stones 
and  brick-bats,  and  other  missiles  were  dropped  all 
around,  and  the  mob  dispersed  at  once.  This  was  the 
last  attempt  at  violence  during  the  meeting  ;  and  what 
may  seem  wonderful  is,  that  amid  all  this  outward  op- 
position and  bustle,  the  good  work  went  steadily  for- 
ward to  the  last. 

Another  incident  occurred  during  this  meeting  which 
seems  worthy  of  note.  On  a  baptismal  occasion  in  the 
New  Haven  Bay,  when  some  fifty  or  sixty  candidates 
were  being  baptized,  a  horse  hitched  to  an  open  buggy, 
became  restless  from  some  cause,  and  started  directly 
out  in  the  Bay.  There  were  several  young  ladies  in 


64  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

the  buggy,  who  had  gotten  into  it  in  order  to  secure  a 
better  view  of  the  baptism.  The  horse  went  so  di- 
rectly out  into  the  bay,  that  it  was  supposed  he  would 
soon  go  into  deep  water,  and  perhaps  drown  both 
himself  and  the  young  ladies ;  and  the  young  ladies 
were  called  to,  and  told  to  jump  out  into  the  water. 
They  did  so  ;  and  were  immediately  rescued  by  gallant 
young  men,  who  plunged  at  once  into  the  water,  and 
brought  them  ashore.  One  of  these  young  ladies  sub- 
sequently married  her  rescuer ;  and  he  was  none  other 
than  the  individual  who  became  the  distinguished  Rev. 
Dr.  J.  C.  Burroughs,  President,  for  many  years,  of 
the  Chicago  University. 

One  other  incident  may  be  related  in  this  connec- 
tion. During  the  progress  of  this  great  meeting,  the 
wife,  and  oldest  son,  and  oldest  daughter,  of  a  noted 
drunkard,  were  converted  and  added  to  the  church. 
He  was  at  the  time  laboring  under  a  severe  attack  of 
delirium  tremens;  or  in  plain  English,  the  brain  fever 
of  the  drunkard.  The  pastor  supposed  that  when  he 
recovered  from  his  illness,  he  would  come  to  the  meet- 
ing, and  very  likely  make  a  profession  of  religion. 
He  did  not  see  how  it  was  possible  for  one  so  far  gone 
in  intemperance  to  be  recovered ;  and,  therefore,  he 
almost  dreaded  the  thought  of  his  making  a  profes- 
sion during  the  meeting.  It  seemed  to  him  to  be  al- 
most certain  that  if  he  did  make  a  profession,  he  would 
dishonor  that  profession.  But  sure  enough,  as  soon 
as  he  recovered  from  the  delirium  tremens,  he  came  to 
the  meeting,  and  veiy  soon,  made  a  profession  of  reli- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  65 

gion.  He  then  offered  himself  as  a  candidate  for  bap- 
tism and  subsequent  church  membership ;  and  with 
much  fear  and  trembling  he  was  received  by  the  church. 
He  was  a  man  of  good  native  talents,  and  a  good 
speaker  ;  and  the  Washingtonians,  who  were  then  ex- 
erting a  wonderful  influence  in  the  Temperance  Cause, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  reformed  inebriates, 
employed  him  at  once  to  go  out  as  a  lecturer  for  them. 
His  own  experience  had  been  a  very  sad  one,  and  he 
had  suffered  amazingly  from  the  habit  of  inebriety. 
He,  therefore,  threw  his  whole  soul  into  the  work ; 
and  in  the  course  of  three  years,  he  procured  over 
thirty  thousand  names  to  the  total  abstinence  pledge, 
and  then  came  home  to  die.  His  pastor,  visited  him 
frequently  in  his  last  illness,  and  found  him  sweetly 
resting  on  Jesus,  and  ready  to  depart  at  the  bidding  of 
his  Lord.  At  length  the  time  came  when  he  felt  that 
his  end  was  at  hand ;  and  wishing  to  take  formal  leave 
of  his  dear  family,  while  he  was  in  the  full  possession  of 
his  mental  faculties,  he  sent  for  the  pastor  to  be  pres- 
ent on  that  touching  occasion.  He  began  with  his 
wife,  and  gave  her  words  of  counsel  and  consolation, 
and  embracing  her  affectionately,  he  commended  her  to 
the  care  and  blessing  of  the  widow's  God.  Then  he 
took  his  oldest  son,  and  gave  him  a  most  tender  charge 
to  take  a  father's  place  in  the  family,  and  set  a  good 
example  to  the  younger  children,  and  honor  his  Chris- 
tian profession.  Then  he  took  the  oldest  daughter 
and  gave  her  the  most  tender  advice.  And  so  he  went 
on  until  he  came  to  the  babe.  This  he  took  in  his 


6(5  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

arms,  and  pressed  it  to  his  bosom,  and  kissed  it  over 
and  over  again  ;  and  then  commended  his  wife  and  all 
his  children  to  the  protection  and  blessing  of  Him  who 
has  said  "I  will  be  a  Father  to  the  fatherless,  and  the 
widow's  God."  When  all  this  was  done,  he  requested 
the  pastor  to  sing  the  hymn  commencing  with  the 
words : 

"When  I  can  read  my  title  clear. " 

It  was  with  great  difficulty  the  pastor  could  suppress 
his  emotion  sufficiently  to  sing  at  all.  And,  then, 
what  made  it  still  more  difficult  to  control  his  feelings, 
was  the  fact,  that  the  dear,  dying  man  would  occasion- 
ally strike  in,  with  his  faltering  voice,  and  try  to  sing 
a  few  words.  When  the  song  was  concluded,  the 
pastor  offered  a  fervent  prayer  for  the  dying  brother, 
and  for  all  the  members  of  the  family,  so  soon  to  be 
bereaved  of  husband  and  father  ;  and  he  then  took  his 
leave  of  the  dying  saint.  It  was  a  scene,  altogether, 
never  to  be  forgotten.  '  Soon  afterwards,  the  dying 
Christian  leaned  his  head  on  the  breast  of  his  Beloved, 
and  breathed  his  life  out  sweetly  there,  and  sang  him- 
self away  to  everlasting  bliss. 

His  funeral  occurred  on  a  week  day  ;  and  yet  such 
was  the  interest  felt  in  his  death  by  the  whole  commu- 
nity, that  the  spacious  church  edifice  was  filled  to  over- 
flowing by  sympathizing  friends,  to  listen  to  the 
sermon  delivered  on  the  occasion  by  his  pastor.  The 
text  was  taken  from  2.  Kings  xx.  1.  "Set  thine  house 
in  order  for  thou  shaltdie,  and  not  live." 

The  name  of  this  eminent  man  was  Abel  Bishop. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  67 

The  pastorate  of  Elder  T.  in  New  Haven  extended 
over  a  period  of  five  years.  Over  four  hundred  hap- 
py souls  were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism  during 
his  pastorate  there,  and  quite  a  number  were  added 
by  letter.  A  new  church  was  set  off  from  the  First 
Church  by  unanimous  consent,  some  two  years  after 
he  went  to  New  Haven.  But  the  number  that  went 
out  to  form  the  new  church  was  soon  made  up  by  new 
accessions;  and  ho  left  the  church  with  six  hundred 
regular  communicants,  when  he  closed  his  pastoral 
labors  among  them. 

Two  sons  were  born  to  him  during  his  residence  in 
New  Haven  ;  and  he  united  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony, 
while  residing  in  that  city,  one  hundred  and  one 
couples.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  general  inter- 
ests of  the  denomination  throughout  the  State  ;  edited, 
for  some  time,  the  New  Haven  department  of  the 
Christian  Secretary  ;  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Suffield  Institution  ;  attended  all  the  State 
Conventions ;  and  did  all  he  could,  at  home  and  abroad, 
to  extend  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness  through- 
out the  state,  and  throughout  the  world. 


68  REMINISCENCES  AN»   INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER  IV. 


In  the  winter  of  1845,  Elder  T.  received  an  invita- 
tion to  visit  the  Grant  Street  Church  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
and  also  the  Second  Baptist  Church  in  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  with  a  view  of  settling  with  them  as  pastor. 
He  accordingly  went  on  from  New  Haven,  and  made 
each  of  these  churches  a  visit.  On  the  whole,  he  con- 
cluded to  accept  the  call  of  the'  Grant  Street  Church, 
in  Pittsburgh.  But  on  his  way  home  the  terrible 
conflagration,  which  occurred  on  the  10th  of  April  of 
that  year,  and  which  laid  in  utter  ruins  so  large  a 
portion  of  that  thriving  city,  so  changed  the  pecuniary 
condition  of  many  of  the  members  of  the  church,  that 
he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  release  the  church  from  any 
obligation  to  him,  if  they  should  think  it  best  so.  But 
they  wrote  to  him  immediately  that  they  needed  his 
services  all  the  more  then,  and  that  his  salary  would 
be  promptly  paid.  Soon  after  his  return  to  New 
Haven,  he  made  arrangements  to  go  on  to  Pittsburgh 
to  take  charge  of  the  church.  He  concluded,  however, 
to  leave  his  family  in  New  Haven  until  the  next  au- 
tumn. They  were  very  pleasantly  located  in  New 
Haven,  and  he  thought  they  would  be  more  likely  to 
enjoy  good  health  in  that  city  during  the  summer 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  69 

season  than  in  Pittsburgh.  The  summer  is  usually  a 
remarkably  pleasant  season  in  the  city  of  New  Haven. 
In  the  autumn  of  that  year  he  went  on  to  New 
Haven  ;  closed  up  his  busines.s  there ;  and  brought  his 
family  to  Pittsburgh.  They  went  by  steam-boat  and 
railroad  from  New  Haven  to  Philadelphia ;  and  then 
took  passage  on  a  canal-boat  for  Pittsburgh.  The 
railroad  was  not  then  completed  from  Harrisburg  to 
Pittsburgh ;  and  the  travel  by  stages  over  the  Alle- 
ghany  mountains  was  very  fatiguing,  and  also  very 
expensive.  The  trip  by  the  canal  was  tedious,  but  on 
the  whole  quite  pleasant,  at  that  season  of  the  year. 
He  arrived  in  Pittsburgh,  with  his  wife  and  six  chil- 
dren, towards  the  last  of  October,  1845,  and  met  a 
cordial  reception  on  the  part  of  the  members  of  the 
church,  and  of  the  community  generally.  The  Grant 
Street  Church  in  Pittsburgh,  of  which  he  had  taken 
charge  in  the  mouth  of  April  of  that  year,  was  in  a 
scattered  and  depressed  condition  at  that  time.  But 
he  succeeded  in  collecting  the  church  together,  and 
very  soon  secured  a  fine  congregation.  Late  in  the 
autumn  of  that  same  year,  he  secured  the  services  of 
Elder  Jacob  Knapp,  the  distinguished  evangelist,  in  a 
series  of  revival  meetings.  Elder  Knapp  remained 
there  eight  weeks,  and  his  labors  were  abundantly 
blessed.  Up  to  the  time  of  his  leaving  the  city,  about 
ninety  joyful  converts  had  been  added  to  the  church 
by  baptism.  On  the  last  day  he  spent  in  the  city,  all 
the  converts,  who  had  not  previously  united  with  the 
church,  were  baptized ;  and  as  the  services  on  that 


70  REMlNIfaCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Sunday  night  were  of  a  farewell  character,  the   inquir- 
ers were  not  invited  forward  for  prayers. 

The  church  and  the  people  generally  supposed  that 
the  meeting  would  close  .with  these  valedictory  exer- 
cises. But  Elder  T.  had  otherwise  determined.  And 
accordingly  he  announced  that  the  meetings  would  be 
continued  during  the  ensuing  week.  The  day  meet- 
ings were  omitted,  but  the  night  meetings  were 
kept  up  regularly.  Of  course  there  was  at  first 
a  very  considerable  falling  off  in  the  congregations. 
But  night  after  night  the  number  of  attendants  on  the 
meetings  increased.  The  first  Sunday  after  Elder 
Knapp  left,  the  pastor  baptized  six  happy  converts. 
The  meetings  went  on,  and  the  Sunday  following, 
nine  or  ten  were  baptized.  The  meetings  were  still 
continued,  and  there  was  a  constant  increase  in  the 
size  of  the  congregations,  and  in  the  number  of  in- 
quirers and  of  converts.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the 
meetings  continued  for  three  months  after  Elder 
Knapp  left ;  and  during  the  progress  of  the  exercises, 
the  interest  became  more  general  and  more  intense 
than  at  any  time  during  Elder  Knapp 's  labors  in  the 
meeting.  The  work  took  hold  of  a  class  of  persons 
that  were  not  reached  by  Elder  Knapp' s  labors.  The 
wholesale  merchants,  and  other  prominent  citizens 
became  deeply  interested  in  the  meetings,  and  quite  a 
number  of  that  class  were  added  to  the  church.  There 
were  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  added  to  the  church 
after  Elder  Knapp  left;  which,  with  those  added  to 
the  church  during  his  stay,  made  an  aggregate  of  some 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  71 

two  hundred  arid  twelve  or  fourteen  accessions  to  the 
church  by  baptism  during  that  series  of  meetings,  of 
five  months  continuance.  The  pastor  did  nearly  all 
the  preaching  himself  after  Elder  Knapp  left — being 
relieved  only  by  an  occasional  sermon  by  some  warm- 
hearted brother,  in  passing,  whom  he  could  trust,  and 
who,  he  was  quite  sure,  would  not  throw  cold  water  on 
the  holy  flame,  which  was  burning  with  so  much  fervor. 
Many  who  were  awakened  in  these  meetings,  united 
with  other  churches ;  and  the  whole  number  of  con- 
verts who  professed  faith  in  Christ,  during  that  long 
protracted  meeting,  was  very  great,  and  will  not  be 
known,  by  the  pastor  or  brethren  of  that  church, 
until  the  final  revelation  of  all  things. 

Several  incidents  occurred  during  the  progress  of 
that  meeting  which  may  be  interesting  to  some.  One 
night,  during  the  inquiry  meeting,  one  of  the  good 
mothers  in  Israel  saw  a  young  man  sitting  in  one  of 
the  side  slips  against  the  wall ;  and  she  went  to  him 
quietly  to  converse  with  him  about  the  welfare  of  his 
soul.  He  told  her  he  was  an  infidel,  and  she  reported 
the  matter  to  the  pastor.  At  the  close  of  the  inquiry 
meeting  the  pastor  said,  that  he  had  been  informed 
there  was  a  young  infidel  in  the  house.  If  so,  he 
would  like  to  pray  for  him,  and  also  have  the  brethren 
pray  for  him.  And  then  he  said,  if  the  young  man 
would  come  forward,  and  let  the  people  of  God  pray 
for  him,  he  believed  there  was  faith  enough  in  the 
hearts  of  Christians  then  present,  to  eject  the  demon 
of  infidelity  out  of  his  soul ;  and  he  begged  the  young 


72  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

man  to  come  forward  and  give  them  a  trial.  He  did 
not  coine  forward  at  once ;  but  as  the  people  were 
passing  out  of  the  house,  and  when  many  had  already 
gone  away,  he  came  to  the  rostrum  upon  which  the 
pastor  was  still  standing,  and  said:  "Here  lam." 
The  pastor  immediately  stopped  the  members  that 
were  going  out,  and  stated  that  the  young  man,  to 
whom  he  had  just  referred,  had  come  forward  to  test 
the  faith  of  God's  people;  "and  now,"  said  he,  "let it 
be  seen  that  there  is  a  God  in  Israel  who  hears  and  an- 
swers prayer."  And  he  laid  one  hand  upon  the  head 
of  the  young  man,  and  with  the  other  took  hold  of  his 
arm,  and  was  just  about  to  engage  in  prayer  for  him. 
But  before  he  could  begin  his  prayer,  three  brethren, 
in  different  parts  of  the  house,  had  already  begun  to 
pray  for  him.  As  soon  as  it  was  discovered  by  the 
brethren,  that  three  of  them  were  praying  aloud  for 
the  young  man,  at  the  same  time,  two  of  them  ceased, 
and  joined  with  the  brother  who  seemed  most  fervent 
in  his  earnest  prayer  for  the  dear  boy.  Very  soon  the 
pastor  discovered  that  the  young  man  began  to  be  rest- 
less, and  then  he  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  like  an 
aspen  leaf,  and  said  :  "Oh,  let  me  go  :  let  me  go  !  I 
can't  stand  this."  The  pastor  held  him  by  the  arm 
firmly  for  a  moment,  and  said  to  him  in  a  whisper  : 
"Hold  on,  my  friend,  I  want  to  pray  for  you  myself." 
But  he  insisted  that  he  could  not  stand  it,  and  he  broke 
away  and  left  the  house.  Shortly  after  this  occurrence, 
he  professed  hope  in  Christ.  The  pastor  stated  the 
facts  of  the  case  publicly  on  one  occasion  soon  after- 


Of  A  LONG  LIFE.  73 

wards;*" and  there  was  present  a  young  infidel,  who 
prided  himself  on  his  skepticism.  He  came  forward 
on  the  next  Sunday  night,  and  took  a  seat,  among  the 
inquirers.  His  object  was  to  deny  that  the  young  man 
whose  case  had  been  mentioned  was  an  infidel ;  and 
to  insist  that  the  pastor  should  retract  the  statement. 
There  were  forward  for  prayers  that  night  many 
prominent  citizens ;  and  the  pastor  did  not  want  the 
attention  and  sympathy  of  the  brethren  diverted  from 
these  anxious  persons  to  the  caviling  skeptic.  He, 
therefore,  spoke  to  the  brethren  privately,  whom 
he  expected  to  call  on  to  pray  for  the  anxious,  to 
pay  no  attention  to  the  infidel,  and  be  sure  not  to 
make  the  slightest  allusion  to  him  in  their  prayers. 
He  told  them  that  he  would  manage  that  case  himself. 
Before  the  dismission,  he  announced  to  the  congrega- 
tion, that  his  statement  in  relation  to  the  conversion 
of  a  young  infidel  recently,  had  been  challenged  by  a 
member  of  the  Infidel  Club  in  the  city  ;  and  that  it  had 
been  demanded  of  him  that  he  should  correct  that 
statement.  He,  therefore,  gave  notice  that  he  would, 
on  the  next  night,  pay  his  respects  to  the  infidels  of 
the  city,  and  make  such  explanations  as  he  might  deem 
proper.  This  announcement  brought  out  the  infidels, 
en  masse,  the  next  ni^ht ;  and  he  gave  an  earnest  and 
convincing  argument  in  favor  of  the  authenticity  and 
divine  origin  of  the  Christian  religion ;  and  then  de- 
picted, in  their  true  colors,  the  naked  deformity,  and 
glaring  absurdities  of  modern  infidelity.  And  when 
he  came  to  speak  of  many  of  the  advocates  of  that 


74  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

« 

fatal  delusion,  he  drew  a  full-sized,  life-like  picture  of 
the  conceited  little  infidel,  who  had  demanded  the  ex- 
planation at  his  hands.  He  never  mentioned  his  name, 
nor  tlid  he  point  him  out  to  the  audience  ;  but  the  de- 
scription of  the  conceited  skeptic  was  so  perfect,  that 
every  body  seemed  to  know  who  was  sitting  for  the 
picture.  It  made  the  inflated  little  fellow  very  mad  ; 
and  he  swore  he  would  have  revenge.  He  went  to  a 
lawyer  of  the  city  to  know  if  he  could  not  sue  the 
pastor  for  defamation.  The  lawyer  told  him  that  he 
had  made  a  great  fool  of  himself  already;  and  if  he 
did  not  want  to  make  himself  still  more  ridiculous,  he 
had  better  go  home  and  let  Elder  T.  alone.  But  he 
foamed,  and  threatened  that  he  would  be  the  death  of 
the  pastor,  and  he  flourished  his  pistol  and  bowie  knife, 
as  if  he  was  bent  on  shedding  the  blood  of  the  minis- 
ter, despite  the  consequences.  Some  of  the  brethren 
became  uneasy  ;  and  as  Elder  T.  had  to  walk  nearly  a 
mile  to  his  residence  every  night  after  church,  they 
thought  it  would  be  well  that  he  should  have  a  protec- 
tor with  him.  But  he  declined  all  these  proffers,  and 
went  along  as  if  nothing  had  happened  to  disturb  his 
mind,  or  prevent  his  earnest  work. 

The  brethren  said  to  the  pastor,  "Well,  you  have 
thrown  off  this  young  man  most  effectually  ;  you  will 
never  be  able  to  do  him  any  good."  He  told  the 
brethren  that  in  New  Haven,  where  he  had  resided  for 
more  than  five  years,  they  sometimes  fitted  out  whaling 
expeditions,  and  he  had  learned  how  they  managed  to 
catch  the  whales.  They  would  send  out  the  email 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  75 

boats,  When  they  discovered  a  whale,  with  a  number 
of  seamen,  having  harpoons,  as  they  are  called. 
These  harpoons  were  barbed  spears ;  and  when  the 
men  in  the  little  boats  came  near  enough  to  the  whale, 
they  would  dart  their  harpoons  with  great  force  into 
the  whale.  There  were  ropes  attached  to  one  end  of 
the  harpoons.  And  when  they  had  plunged  their  har- 
poons into  the  whale,  they  played  out  the  ropes,  and 
let  him  blubber,  and  bleed,  and  flounder  until  he  was 
completely  exhausted  ;  and  then  they  would  draw  in 
the  ropes,  and  thus  secure  their  prize.  Now,  said  he, 
"I  know  I  have  plunged  the  harpoon  into  my'  little 
whale  ;  and  if  none  of  you  shall  cut  the  ropes,  I  will, 
I  think,  secure  the  fish."  The  brethren  seemed  to 
think  such  a  result  altogether  improbable ;  but  they 
told  the  pastor  that  they  would  not  cut  the  ropes,  and 
th;it  they  would  leave  the  case  altogether  in  his  hands. 
Well,  the  result  was  that  the  poor  skeptic,  meeting 
with  no  sympathy  anywhere,  began  to  think  about  the 
folly  of  the  course  he  had  been  pursuing,  and  then  was 
led  to  think  of  his  sins,  and  his  need  of  a  Savior;  and 
in  a  short  time  afterwards  he  came  forward  for  prayers, 
and  begged  the  pastor  and  the  brethren  to  pray  for 
him  that  he  might  be  saved  from  the  wrath  to  come, 
and  be  made  an  humble  follower  of  Christ.  He  soon 
found  peace  in  believing,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit. 
On  the  following  Sunday  night,  in  the  presence  of  an 
immense  crowd,  he  told  the  people  what  the  Lord  had 
done  for  his  soul,  and  had  had  mercy  on  him.  In  the 
course  of  his  remarks  on  that  occasion,  he  alluded  to 


76  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

his  bitter  enmity  to  the  pastor  a  few  days  before,  and 
how  he  thirsted  for  his  blood.  "But  now,''  said  he, 
"there  is  no  man  on  earth  I  love  so  well ;"  and  turn- 
ing towards  the  pastor  as  he  stood  upon  the  platform , 
he  rushed  towards  him,  and  threw  his  arms  around  his 
neck,  and  was  overwhelmed  with  emotion.  The  Sun- 
day following  he  was  baptized ;  and  as  he  stood  out 
in  the  river,  with  the  administrator  by  his  side,  he 
made  an  open  renunciation  of  infidelity,  and  earnestly 
exhorted  his  former  associates  to  abandon  the  fatal 
delusion,  and  come  to  Christ  that  they  might  be  saved. 
Thus-the  pastor's  knowledge  of  human  nature  was 
demonstrated  in  managing  that  case  so  successfully. 
He  had  carefully,  as  he  thought,  taken  a  fair  diagnosis 
of  the  case,  and  every  step  he  took  in  relation  to  it 
was  premeditated  and  deliberate.  He  believed  at  the 
time,  and  the  young  man  was  at  length  led  to  see  it  so 
himself,  that  no  other  means  would  be  likely  to  reach 
the  case,  and  save  the  poor  sinner.  It  was  painful  to 
the  preacher  to  be  reduced  to  the  necessity,  as  he 
thought,  of  acting  the  part  of  a  true  surgeon,  who 
amputates  an  incurable  limb,  in  order  to  save  the  life 
of  the  patient. 

Another  incident  of  interest  occurred  during  the 
progress  of  that  meeting.  The  wife  of  a  man  who 
was  anxious  about  his  soul's  salvation,  and  was  coming 
forward  for  prayers  every  night,  was  converted,  and 
was  accepted  by  the  church  as  a  candidate  for  baptism. 
She  concluded  to  defer  her  baptism  until  her  husband 
should  be  ready  to  go  with  her.  He  lingered  at  the 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  77 

anxious  seat  for  some  time.  Meanwhile  she  was  taken 
sick;  and  before  she  had  fully  recovered,  her  husband 
was  converted.  He  felt  that  he  ought  to  be  imme- 
diately baptized,  and  that  he  could  not  wait  for  the  re- 
covery of  his  wife.  So  he  was  baptized  ;  and  his  wife 
had  at  last  to  go  into  the  water  without  him.  The 
pastor  teased  her  considerably,  by  telling  her,  that  she 
had  neglected  her  duty  in  waiting  for  her  husband,  and 
he  had  done  just  right  in  not  waiting  for  her. 

Another  incident  of  interest  in  connection  with  that 
meeting  may  be  related.  There  was  an  interesting 
gentleman  in  the  mercantile  business  in  the  city,  who 
became  deeply  anxious  about  the  welfare  of  his  soul. 
He  came  forward  many  times  for  prayer,  but  could 
not  find  peace  to  his  troubled  soul.  At  length  ho 
made  up  his  mind  deliberately,  that  he  would  not  go 
forward  for  prayers  anymore.  He  did  not  think  of 
quitting  the  meeting  ;  but  he  thought,  as  he  found  no 
peace  in  going  forward  for  prayers,  he  would  not  go 
forward  any  more.  That  night  he  came  to  the  meet- 
ing as  usual ;  and  Elder  Knapp  preached  on  that  oc- 
casion from  the  text  in  Matt,  xxiii.  37.  "O,  Jerusa- 
lem, Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  and 
stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  of  ten  would 
I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen 
gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would 
not."  In  the  sermon  the  preacher  had  occasion  to 
speak  of  the  various  calls  of  the  hen  to  her  chickens, 
such  as  naturalists  generally  describe.  He  spoke  of 
the  alarm  call;  of  the  brooding  ball ;  and  of  the  feed- 


78  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

ing  call,  especially.  And  when  he  came  to  speak  of 
the  feeding  call,  he  said  that  a  hen  might  have  a  large 
brood  of  chickens,  and  that  they  might  be  scattered 
ever  so  widely  in  the  grass,  and  weeds,  and  brush  ;yet, 
as  soon  as  they  heard  the  feeding  call,  they  would  all 
run  with  all  their  might  to  the  hen  to  get  the  particle 
of  food  which  she  had  found  for  them.  And  he  said 
that  call  might  be  repeated  a  thousand  times  in  one 
day  ;  and  although  all  the  chickens  would  start  and  run 
to  get  the  crumb,  the  bug,  the  worm,  yet  one  little 
chicken  might  fail  every  time  to  get  to  the  hen  in  time 
to  get  the  desired  morsel.  But  it  would  not  on  that 
account  stick  up  its  back,  in  a  complaining  tone,  and 
say,  "I  won't  go  any  more.  I  have  run  a  thousand 
times  to-day,  and  have  not  obtained  a  single  morsel. 
I  won't  go  any  more."  But  the  speaker  said,  that 
that  little  chicken,  when  it  heard  the  next  feeding  call, 
would  run  just  as  eagerly  to  get  the  morsel  the  hen 
had  found  for  her  brood,  as  if  it  had  been  the  first 
call  of  the  hen  in  the  morning.  And  then  appealing 
to  his  hearers,  the  preacher  said  :  "And  can't  you,  my 
hearers,  be  as  wise  as  a  little  chicken  ;  and  keep  com- 
ing, and  coming,  and  coming,  until  you  get  the  bless- 
ing?" Mr.  Jones — for  that  was  his  real  name — rsaid 
to  himself  under  the  appeals  made  in  that  sermon,  "I 
ought  to  be  as  wise  as  a  little  chicken,  and  I  will  go, 
and  go,  and  go  until  I  get  the  blessing."  Accordingly, 
when  the  invitation  was  given  to  the  anxious  to  come 
forward  for  prayers,  he  went  directly  forward.  The 
pastor,  in  conversing  with  him,  ascertained  that  he 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  79 

had  determined  that  day  not  to  come  forward  any 
more;  and  how  his  purpose  had  been  altered  by  the 
sermon  on  that  occasion;  and  he  felt  that  Mr.  Jones 
must  be  induced  to  take  a  step  in  advance  of  any 
thing  he  had  yet  done.  He,  therefore,  told  him 
that  he  must  get  up  and  tell  the  people  how  he 
felt.  He  told  the  pastor  that  he  had  no  feeling. 
The  pastor  then  insisted  that  he  should  tell  the 
people  that  he  had  no  feeling.  Well,  at  the  earnest 
entreaty  of  the  pastor,  he  got  up  and  began  to  speak 
as  deliberately  as  a  lawyer  would  open  his  case  be- 
fore a  jury.  He  told  what  had  been  his  determination 
that  day  ;  how  the  sermon  that  night  had  upset  his  pur- 
pose ;  how  he  thought  he  ought  to  be  as  wise  as  a  little 
chicken  ;  how  he  had  come  forward  under  that  appeal 
of  the  preacher  ;  and  how  he  meant  to  come,  and  come, 
and  come  till  he  got  the  blessing.  "But" — and  he 
was  going  to  say,  "I  have  no  feeling."  But  just  at 
that  instant,  God  let  in  the  light  a  little  upon  his  sins; 
and  he  was  utterly  overwhelmed  with  emotion.  He 
cried  aloud  for  mercy.  Prayer  after  prayer  was  offer- 
ed for  him.  And  in  that  very  meeting  that  night,  he 
found  Jesus  precious  to  his  soul ;  and  he  went  home  to 
tell  his  dear,  sick  wife  that  he  had  found  the  Savior. 

Another  incident  occurred  during  that  meeting  that 
must  not  be  omitted.  A  gentleman,  residing  some  two 
and  a  half  miles  in  the  country,  was  sick,  and  given 
up  to  die  by  his  physician.  He  had  a  complication  of 
terrible  maladies.  He  obtained  hope  in  Jesus,  and 
wanted  to  be  baptized.  But  his  physician  forbade  it. 


80  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

He  sent  for  the  pastor,  and  he  went  out  to  see  him. 
The  pastor  talked  freely  with  him,  and  found  that 
he  was  soundly  converted,  as  he  thought,  and  as- 
certained that  he  was  very  anxious  to  be  baptized. 
But  he  told  him  plainly  he  did  not  think  that  he  ought 
to  be  baptized  in  the  peculiar  state  of  his  health.  But 
the  sick  man  insisted,  and  said  he  could  not  bear  the 
thought  of  going  up  to  meet  the  Master,  without  hav- 
ing obeyed  his  first  command  to  the  converted,  believ- 
ing soul.  His  doctor  told  him  that  he  would  probably 
die  in  the  water,  if  he  should  venture  to  be  baptized. 
But  his  reply  was,  '-Well,  it  is  no  further  from  the 
water  to  heaven,  than  it  is  from  the  land;  and  if  I 
die  in  the  water,  I  want  to  be  baptized."  Finding 
that  nothing  else  would  satisfy  him,  the  pastor  made 
arrangements,  and  had  him  brought  in  a  carriage  to  the 
church.  He  related  his  experience,  and  was  accepted 
as  a  candidate  for  baptism ;  and  he  was  baptized  on 
Sunday  afternoon,  with  many  others,  and  went  on  his 
way  rejoicing.  And  what  was  most  remarkable  in  his 
case  was  the  fact,  that  although  it  was  mid-winter, 
and  the  weather  cold,  and  floating  ice  was  in  the  river, 
he  was  not  at  all  injured  by  the  baptism ;  but  on  the 
contrary  was  manifestly  benefited  by  it.  Indeed,  he 
became  so  much  better  after  his  baptism,  that  he  walk- 
ed into  church  and  back  again,  from  time  to  time, 
without  much  fatigue.  He  was  better  for  a  number 
of  months  after  his  baptism.  He  went  back  to  Eng- 
land after  awhile,  and  it  was  reported  that  he  died  not 
long  after  his  return  to  his  native  country. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  81 

During  that  meeting,  Elder  T.  baptized  his  oldest 
son,  then  a  boy  thirteen  years  of  age.  Subsequently, 
and  while  still  a  resident  of  Pittsburgh,  he  baptized  his 
oldest  daughter,  when  she  was  about  fourteen  years  of 
age.  They  both  lived  to  be  married ;  and  both  of 
them  died  in  the  triumphs  of  the  Christian  faith.  Each 
of  them  left  three  children,  all  of  whom  have  lived  to 
grow  up,  and  some  of  them  are  married  and  settled  in 
life. 

During  Elder  Teasdale's  pastorate  in  Pittsburgh,  he 
assisted  pastors  in  several  cities  in  protracted  meet- 
ings in  their  respective  churches  ;  a  few  of  these  may 
be  named  in  this  connection. 

At  the  earnest  request  of  Rev.  T.  W.  Greer,  a  par- 
ticular friend  of  his,  whom  he  had  married  a  few  years 
before  to  a  very  intelligent  and  amiable  young  lady, 
the  daughter  of  a  prominent  Presbyterian  minister  in 
the  vicinity  of  Pittsburgh,  Elder  T.  went  to  assist  him 
in  a  series  of  revival  meetings  in  his  church  in  the 
pleasant  little  village  of  Sharon,  in  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  meetings  were  greatly  blessed,  and  many 
souls  were  happily  converted  to  God,  and  added  to 
the  church  by  baptism.  There  is  a  beautiful  river 
running  directly  through  the  village,  which  is  one  of 
the  finest  natural  baptistries  in  the  world.  The 
stream  is  as  clear  as  crystal;  its  banks  are  high  and 
sloping;  its  bottom  is  pebbly  and  smooth  ;  and  a  bridge 
crosses  the  river  just  below  the  place  of  baptism. 
Thousands  can  stand  on  the  sloping  banks,  and  on  the 
bridge,  and  have  an  unobstructed  view  of  every  candi- 


82  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

date  baptized.  Frequent  baptisms  were  performed  in 
that  river  during  the  progress  of  the  meetings;  and  it 
was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  1500  or  2000  people 
gathered  there  to  witness  the  administration  of  the  or- 
dinance. 

In  the  course  of  the  meeting  a  very  intelligent  and 
excellent  }roung  lady  came  forward  for  prayers,  again 
and  again,  again  and  again.  At  length,  as  she  seemed 
to  obtain  ,no  comfort,  it  occurred  to  Elder  T.  that 
there  must  be  something  special  in  the  way  of  that 
young  lady,  which  was  operating  to  prevent  her  from 
giving  her  heart  to  Jesus.  He  determined,  therefore, 
if  she  came  forward  again,  he  would  endeavor  to  find 
out  what  it  was  that  was  keeping  her  away  from 
Christ.  She  came  forward,  as  usual;  for  she  was  not 
of  that  unstable  kind  who  go  once,  or  twice,  or  more, 
and  then  turn  back  to  the  weak  and  beggarly  elements 
of  the  world.  He  then  asked  her  how  it  was  that  she 
did  not  make  a  full  surrender  of  herself  to  Christ,  and 
why  she  continued  so  long  in  the  dark  ?  She  replied 
in  the  most  solemn  tones,  "Oh,  sir,  I  cannot  be  a 
Christian."  "Why,  Miss,"  said  he,  "what  do  you 
mean  when  you  say,  'I  cannot  be  a  Christian?'  What 
hinders  you  from  becoming  a  Christian?'  '  And 
then  she  wont  on  to  tell  him,  that  she  was  the  daughter 
of  Presbyterian  parents ;  that  she  had  been  raised 
strictly  in  the  faith  of  that  church  ;  that  she  was  a 
member  of  its  Sunday-school ;  and  she  revered  its 
pastor.  "But,"  said  she,  "within  the  past  few 
months,  I  have  been  carefully  reading  the  New  Testa- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  83 

ment  for  myself,  to  ascertain  what  are  its  teachings 
in  relation  to  Christian  Baptism  ,  and  I  have  been  con- 
ducted to  the  conclusion,  that  the  law  of  baptism  which 
Christ  gave  to  his  disciples,  requires  the  entire  immer- 
sion of  the  candidate  in  waler  ;  and  that  professing  be- 
lievers are  the  only  proper  subjects  of  the  ordinance. 
But  my  poor  heart  rises  up  against  my  quitting  the 
faith  of  my  parents  and  my  minister,  and  openly 
espousing  the  cause  of  the  Baptists.  And,  then,  my 
timid  nature  shrinks  from  the  necessity  of  going  down 
into  yonder  river,  in  the  presence  of  1500  or  2000 
spectators,  and  being  buried  with  my  Lord  in  baptism. 
And  yet,  if  I  become  a  Christian,  I  shall  be  com- 
pelled, from  my  present  convictions,  to  do  so.  And, 
therefore,  I  think  I  can  not  be  a  Christian.  If  I  had 
the  right  spirit,  I  would  be  willing  to  leave  father,  and 
mother,  and  minister,  and  my  dearest  friends  for 
Jesus,  and  to  obey  his  commandments  with  delight." 
Elder  T.  saw  at  once  why  she  had  not  been  blessed  in 
the  meeting  up  to  that  time,  -and  told  her  that  she  had 
been  contemplating  a  Christian  duty  from  an  uncon- 
verted standpoint,  and  begged  her  to  dismiss  the  sub- 
ject of  baptism  from  her  mind,  and  give  her  heart  to 
Jesus.  She  took  the  suggestion  ;  and  she  was  very 
soon  rejoicing  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glorjr. 
Not  a  word  was  said  to  her,  either  by  the  pastor,  or  by 
Elder  T.,  about  baptism  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  door  of  the 
church  was  opened  for  the  reception  of  candidates  for 
baptism,  she  was  among  the  very  first  to  present  herself. 
She  gave  a  very  clear  and  satisfactory  relation  of  the 


84  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

Lord's  dealings  with  her  soul;  and  was  about  to  be 
received  by  acclamation  as  a  candidate  for  baptism, 
and  subsequent  church  membership.  But  just  then, 
Elder  T.  asked  permission  of  the  pastor  to  propound 
a  question  to  the  young  lady.  Permission  was  grant- 
ed ;  and  the  great  wonder  of  the  people  was  to  know 
why  he  should  want  to  ask  the  candidate  any  questions 
after  she  had  related  so  satisfactory  an  experience  of 
grace.  But  knowing  her  former  difficulty  in  relation 
to  going  down  into  the  river  for  baptism,  he  said  :  "Do 
you  not  feel,  Miss,  that  it  will  be  a  great  cross  for  you 
to  go  down  into  yonder  river,  and  put  on  your  Lord 
by  baptism,  in  the  presence  of  1500  or  2000  specta- 
tors?" With  a  beautiful  smile  upon  her  face,  she  ex- 
claimed :  "O,  no  sir;  a  pleasure  now."  She  was 
then  unanimously  received  as  a  candidate  for  baptism  ; 
and  she  experienced  the  most  exquisite  happiness  in 
the  act  of  following  the  blessed  Savior  in  the  hallowed 
rite  of  gospel  baptism. 

During  that  meeting  two  other  incidents  occurred 
that  are  deemed  worthy  of  notice.  One  of  the  dea- 
cons of  the  church  felt  for  several  days  that  he  ought 
to  go  and  converse  with  a  friend  of  his  on  the  subject 
of  religion ;  but  he  put  it  off  from  day  to  day  for 
several  days.  At  length  he  felt  that  he  could  not  de- 
lay the  duty  any  longer.  Accordingly  he  went  to  his 
friend,  and  after  passing  the  usual  salutations,  said  to 
him,  "My  friend,  I  have  called  in  to  talk  with  you  a 
few  moments  on  the  subject  of  religion  and  the  welfare 
of  your  soul."  His  friend  interrupted  him  and  burst- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  85 

ing  into  tears  said:  "Oh!  deacon,  why  did  you  not 
call" sooner?  I  have  been  expecting  you  to  call  for 
several  days."  Thus  it  often  occurs  in  a  time  of  re- 
ligious awakening,  that  the"  unconverted  are  neglected, 
when  they  are  anxious  to  receive  attention  on  the  part 
of  Christians. 

Another  incident  occurred  during  that  meeting  of  a 
very  sad  character.  One  of  the  brethren  was  impress- 
ed very  deeply,  that  he  ought  to  go  and  see  a  friend  of 
his,  living  a  mile  or  two  out  in  the  country,  and  talk 
with  him  on  the  subject  of  securing  his  soul's  salva- 
tion. But  he  kept  putting  it  off,  from  day  to  day,  for 
several  days.  At  last  he  determined  that  he  would  go 
the  very  next  day  without  fail,  and  see  his  friend.  But 
the  next  morning  he  got  the  news  that  his  friend  was 
dead.  -O,  what  bitter  tears  that  brother  shed,  when 
he  related  the  case  before  the  congregation ;  and  how 
fervently  he  prayed  that  God  would  forgive  his  guilty 
delay. 

During  the  summer  of  1848,  Dr.  T.  made  a  trip  to 
the  East ;  and  wrote  for  one  of  the  Pittsburgh  papers 
a  series  of  letters,  incognito,  which  were  well  received 
by  the  people  of  the  city  generally. 

During  his  pastorate  in  Pittsburgh,  Elder  T.  went 
up  into  the  hill  country  of  Western  Petisylvania,  to 
spend  a  short  summer  vacation,  and  obtain  a  little 
surcease  from  the  onerous  duties  and  cares  of  a  large 
city  charge.  He  found  a  pleasant  and  quiet  little 
village  among  those  hills,  with  a  comfortable  hotel  and 
agreeable  surroundings ;  and  he  determined  to  spend 


86  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

his  vacation  there.  He  did  not  want  to  see  anyone 
with  whom  he  was  acquainted,  or  be  called  upoif  to 
preach,  or  perform  any  ministerial  duties  whatsoever. 
He  went  there  to  rest,  ana  he  was  determined  to  se- 
cure that  boon,  if  possible.  But  he  had  barely  taken 
his  room  at  the  hotel,  and  exchanged  his  traveling 
apparel  for  his  common  suit,  when  a  Baptist  minis- 
ter came  along;  and  seeing  him  sitting  on  the  porch 
of  the  hotel,  he  drove  up  at  once,  and  spoke  to  him. 
After  exchanging  salutations,  and  passing  a  few  words 
in  conversation  together,  the  minister  said  to  him, 
"Corne,  get  into  my  buggy,  and  go  with  me  to  a  church 
about  six  miles  distant.  The  church  there  is  in  great 
trouble  from  bitter  strife  amongst  us  members ;  and 
it  has  called  a  council  to  advise  what  should  be  done 
in  the  premises.  I  am  now  on  my  way  to  meet  the 
council,  which  is  to  convene  with  that  church  to-day. 
Come,  go  with  me  to  the  meeting  of  the  council." 
Elder  T.  replied,  "I  can  not  go,  sir,  I  came  out  here 
expressly  to  obtain  a  little  rest,  mental,  as  well  as 
physical;  and  rest  I  must  have.  Please  excuse  me  ;  I 
can  not  go  with  you,  sir."  The  brother  then  stated 
the  nature  of  the  difficulty  in  the  church  ;  and  he  said, 
"It  is  a  solitary  light  in  all  that  community;  and  they 
are  about  to  extinguish  that  light.  The  parties  in  the 
controversy  are  very  nearly  equally  divided;  and 
neither  of  them  is  at  all  disposed  to  make  any  con- 
cessions in  the  matter  ;  and  if  the  council  connot  effect 
a  settlement  of  the  difficulty,  then  it  would  seem  that 
the  little  church  must  be  destroyed.  We  are  anxious 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  87 

to  prevent  the  annihilation  of  the  church  ;  and  we  in- 
tend to  make  an  earnest  effort  to  effect  a  reconciliation 
between  the  disaffected  parties.  You  can  aid  us  es- 
sentially in  this  work  ;  and  you  must  go  with  me." 
Elder  T.  became  so  much  interested  in  the  case,  that 
finally  he  concluded  to  go  with  the  brother  to  the 
meeting  of  the  council.  On  their  way  to  the  meeting, 
he  got  as  full  an  account  of  the  nature  of  the  difficul- 
ties as  the  brother  could  give  him ;  and  it  seemed  to  him 
impossible  for  the  council  to  settle  the  difficulty.  No 
matter  what  their  opinion  might  be  in  relation  to  the 
difficulty,  and  which  party  to  the  controversy  was 
mainly  to  blame,  that  would  not  relieve. the  church  of 
.  its  trouble.  The  censured  party  would  not  likely  sub- 
mit to  the  decision  of  the  council,  and  a  disruption  of 
the  church  would  be  the  result.  The  difficulty  had 
originated  with  two  prominent  sisters  in  the  church. 
They  had  had  some  misunderstanding.  Alienation 
had  ensued,  and  hard  words  against  each  other  had 
been  spoken.  Parties  had  been  formed  on  one  side 
and  the  other,  and  nearly  the  whole  church  was 
finally  involved  in  the  controversy.  Under  these 
circumstances,  Elder  T.  thought  it  would  be  better 
to  try  to  get  the  two  sisters  together,  with  whom  the 
difficulty  had  originated,  and  see  if  a  reconciliation 
could  not  be  effected  between  them,  without  letting 
the  case  go  to  the  council.  He  accordingly  deter- 
mined to  seek  an  introduction  to  each  of  these  sisters, 
on  his  arrival  at  the  meeting-house,  and  see  if  he 
could  not  get  them  to  settle  the  difficulty  between 


88  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

themselves.  On  his  arrival  at  the  church,  he  obtained 
an  introduction  to  these  sisters  separately,  and  entered 
into,  an  earnest  and  tender  expostulation  with  each  of 
them  to  settle  the  difficulty  themselves,  and  not  let  it 
go  before  the  council.  But  nothing  tliat  he  could 
say  ;  no  appeal  to  their  regard  for  the  church,  and  its 
perpetuity  in  the  midst  of  the  surrounding  moral 
darkness,  seemed  to  have  any  good  effect  upon  either 
of  them.  Each  of  them  was  very  sure  that  the  other 
had  wronged  her  grossly,  and  had  most  wickedly  and 
without  any  provocation  spoken  all  manner  of  evil 
falsely  concerning  her; — that,  in  a  word,  she  had  been 
basely  slandered  by  the  other.  When  this  effort  at 
reconciliation  had  failed,  the  council  was  convened, 
and  a  moderator  and  clerk  were  appointed  for  the 
occasion.  When  they  were  ready  to  proceed  to  busi- 
ness, Elder  T.  suggested  that  a  season  of  prayer 
should  be  had  before  they  proceeded  any  farther  with 
the  business ;  and  the  moderator  called  upon  him  to 
lead  in  prayer.  He  had  become,  by  this  time,  intensely 
interested  in  the  case ;  and  his  prayer  was  a  fervent 
and  tearful  appeal  to  God  to  help  them  in  that  time 
of  need.  He  pleaded  for  the  sisters,  whose  conduct 
had  caused  so  much  trouble  and  reproach  to  the 
church  ;  and  he  pleaded  for  the  church  itself  very 
earnestly  and  importunately.  Soon  suppressed  sighs, 
and  sobs  were  heard  all  over  the  hou^.1.  The  house 
became,  in  fact,  a  very  Bochiru — a  place  of  tears, 
during  the  prayer.  At  the  close  of  the  prayer  not  a 
word  was  spoken;  but  at  the  very  same  moment, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  89 

those  sisters,  who  had  been  sitting  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  church,  started  for  each  other.  They  met 
about  midway  in  the  church,  and  embraced  each 
other,  and  wept  on  each  others  necks  like  little  chil- 
dren. Their  confessions  to  each  other  were  full  and 
very  touching,  and  the  whole  difficulty  was  settled 
right  there.  The  council  hud  nothing  to  do  but  to 
return  thanks  to  God,  and  go  home. 


90  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER  V. 


Early  in  the  spring  of  1848,  Elder  T.  went  down 
from  Pittsburgh  to  Zanesville,  Ohio,  to  spend  a  Sunday 
in  that  city,  and  visit  his  friend,  Rev.  J.  M.  Courtney, 
then  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  that  place. 
He  preached  on  Sunday  morning,  and  again  on  Sun- 
day night  to  that  church.  So  much  interest  was  evinced 
in  the  services  that  day,  that  the  pastor  and  brethren 
begged  him  to  remain  over,  and  preach  again  on  Mon- 
day. On  Monday  night  a  number  of  persons  came 
forward  for  prayer ;  and  the  interest  io  the  exercises 
was  so  great,  that  he  was  earnestly  requested  to  re- 
main until  near  the  close  of  the  week,  allowing  him 
barely  time  to  reach  home  on  Saturday  night,  so  as  to 
fill  his  pulpit  in  Pittsburgh  on  Sunday,  which  he 
finally  concluded  to  do.  Amongst  those  who  came  for- 
ward for  prayers,  in  the  very  beginning  of  the  meet- 
ing, was  an  interesting  and  influential  young  lady,  who 
had  been  selected  the  year  before,  to  deliver  the  flag 
to  the  soldiers,  who  were  about  to  leave  home  for  the 
war  in  Mexico.  Several  others  of  the  inquirers,  were 
amongst  the  best  of  the  citizens  ;  and  the  fact  that  so 
many  first-class  people  had  evinced  so  much  interest 
in  the  exercises,  gave  great  influence  to  the  meeting. 


,  OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  91 

The  work  constantly  and  rapidly  advanced ;  so  that 
towards  the  close  of  the  week,  the  interest  in  the 
meeting  became  so  general,  that  the  pastor  and  breth- 
ren begged  Elder  T.  to  remain  another  week.  The 
interest  in  the  meeting  continued  to  increase,  from 
day  to  day,  until  its  influence  permeated  the  whole 
city.  It  was  the  subject  of  conversation  in  the 
hotels;  in  the  barber-shops;  in  the  stores;  in  the 
dwelling  Bouses;  and  on  the  streets.  It  became 
the  subject  of  absorbing  interest  amongst  all  classes 
of  the  people.  The  meeting  house,  though  spa- 
cious, would  not  contain  the  people  who  came  to 
hear  the  Word  of  the  Lord.  Many  stood  around  the 
church,  and  listened  at  the  windows  ;  and  others  stood 
at  the  front  door,  and  out  on  the  pavement,  as  far  as 
they  could  hoar  the  preaching.  And  after  all  this, 
many  were  compelled  to  return  to  their  homes,  who 
were  unable  to  get  near  enough  to  hear  at  all.  So 
great  was  the  crowd  desiring  to  hear  the  Word  of  the 
Lord,  and  so  general  did  the  interest  become,  that  it 
became  a  necessity  to  open  other  houses  of  worship  to 
accommodate  the  people.  And  thus  the  work  went  on, 
and  on,  for  six  weeks.  Elder  T.  had  to  request  his 
people  in  Pittsburgh  to  obtain  supplies  for  the  pulpit 
during  all  this  time.  He  now  felt  that  he  must  return 
to  his  family  and  his  church  in  Pittsburgh.-  And  he 
accordingly  gave  notice  that  he  expected  to  preach  his 
closing  sermon  on  that  Sunday  night.  But  such  was  the 
fresh  outburst  of  interest  on  that  occasion,  that  he 
could  not  consistently  leave,  as  he  had  intended  ;  and 


92  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

• 

he  was  finally  detained  two  weeks  longer  in  the  meet- 
ing. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  precious  revivals  in  which 
Elder  T.,  up  to  that  time,  had  ever  labored.  Be- 
tween four  hundred  and  five  hundred  souls  professed 
conversion,  as  the  result  of  that  precious  work  of 
grace.  And  the  hallowed  influence  of  that  glorious 
work  will  be  felt  for  all  coming  time  by  the  church 
and  by  the  community  at  large.  More  than  a  year 
afterwards,  Elder  T.  had  occasion  to  pa^s  through 
Zanesvillc  ;  and  he  inquired  of  the  pastor  about  the  state 
of  feeling  in  his  church,  at  that  time ;  and  he  told  him, 
that  the  revival  influence  in  his  church  was  very  appar- 
ent still.  One  hundred  and  sixty-five  of  the  converts, 
in  that  revival,  united  with  the  First  Baptist  Church  ; 
some  twenty-five  or  thirty  united  with  the  Second 
Baptist  Church  ;  and  the  balance  united  with  the  several 
other  denominations  in  the  city.  It  was  such  a  refreshing 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  as  had  nev^r  before 
been  enjoyed  in  that  city.  It  will  never  be  forgotten. 

Several  incidents  of  interest  occurred  during  the 
progress  of  the  meeting  in  Zanesville,  which  are 
deemed  worthy  of  notice. 

Soon  after  the  meeting  had  taken  a  strong  hold  on 
the  public  mind  in  the  city,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
merchant  tailors  of  the  place  left  home  to  go  on  to 
the  Eastern  cities  to  purchase  his  spring  and  summer 
goods.  He  made  it  a  point  to  get  away  just  at  that 
time,  to  avoid  the  influence  of  the  meeting  on  his 
mind.  His  wife  was  a  sister  of  the  young  lady1  who 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  93 

delivered  the  flag  to  the  Mexican  soldiers,  as  above 
mentioned,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  wealthiest  and 
most  influential  families  in  the  community.  She  had 
evinced  considerable  interest  in  the  meeting  before  her 
husband  left ;  and  she  was  converted  before  he  re- 
turned. He  prolonged  his  absence  for  three  weeks,  in 
the  hope  that  the  meeting  would  be  ended  before  he 
returned.  But  when  he  got  home,  the  interest  in  the 
meeting  was  more  intense  than  when  he  left ;  and  such 
was  its  influence  on  his  mind,  that  very  soon  after  his 
return,  he  came  forward  for  prayer,  and  was  happily 
converted.  It  was  an  interesting  spectacle,  to  see 
him  and  his  wife,  both  stately,  fine-looking  people, 
walking  down  arm  in  arm  into  the  water,  to  be  buried 
with  Christ  in  Baptism.  The  effect  on  the  vast  con- 
course of  spectators  was  almost  electrical.  He  admitted 
after  his  return,  that  he  had  had  no  peace  of  mind  dur- 
ing all  his  absence  from  the  city.  He  felt  that  the 
people  of  God  in  Zanesville  were  praying  for  him. 

Another  incident  may  be  noted.  An  elder  lister  of 
the  two  ladies,  above  alluded  to,  had  been  a  devoted  and 
active  member  of  the  church  for  a  number  of  years. 
Her  husband  was  an  irreligious  man.  He  never  op- 
posed his  wife  in  her  religion,  and  was,  indeed,  a  very 
affectionate  husband;  but  he  had  no  liking  for' religion 
himself.  During  the  progress  of  the  meeting  con- 
ducted by  Elder  T.  he  took  care  to  keep  himself  aloof 
from  its  influence  for  some  time.  He  would  come  with 
his  wife  to  the  church  door  every  night,  and  then  make 
some  excuse  for  going  down  town  and  spending  his 


94  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

time  until  the  sermon  was  over ;  and  then  he  would 
come  back  and  accompany  his  wife  home.  And  this 
he  did  regularly  for  some  time.  At  length,  one  night, 
there  was  so  much  interest  in  the  inquiry  meeting,  that 
the  services  were  continued  longer  than  usual.  When 
his  wife  went  out  and  took  his  arm  to  walk  home  with 
him,  he  seemed  irritated,  and  spoke  rather  roughly  to 
her,  and  told  her  if  she  could  not  go  home  in  reasona- 
ble time  she  should  not  come  to  the  meeting  any  more. 
His  excellent  wife  made  no  reply ;  but  all  the  way  home 
she  was  praying  for  her  husband.  He  heard  her  lips 
moving  all  along  the  way;  and,  O,  how  he  wished  he 
could  take  back  the  hasty  words  that  had  escaped  his 
lips  just  before. 

After  reaching  home  he  went  to  bed  almost  imme- 
diately ;  but  his  wife  had  some  household  matters  to 
attend  to  before  she  retired.  When  she  was  ready  to 
lie  down,  she  knelt  by  the  bedside;  and  in  a  low  but 
earnest  voice  prayed  most  fervently  for  her  husband, 
and  for»  the  success  of  the  great  work  in  progress 
in  their  midst.  She  thought  her  husband  was  sound 
asleep,  and  heard  nothing  of  her  prayer.  But  he  was 
in  trouble,  and  could  not  sleep.  He  heard  all  her 
agonizing  prayer  ;  and  it  served  to  deepen  the  impres- 
sion already  made  on  his  mind.  The  next  morning  his 
wife  went  about  her  work,  and  did  not  offer  to  go  to 
the  10  o'clock  meeting,  as  she  had  been  wont  to  do. 
He  had  hoped  that  she  had  forgotten,  or  would  dis- 
regard his  hasty  words  the  night  before.  But  she 
made  no  preparation  to  go  to  church.  This  troubled 


OF  A  LOXG  LIFE.  95 

him  still  more.  But  he  consoled  himself  with  the 
thought  that  she  could  not  stay  away  from  the  preach- 
ing service  at  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  But  when 
the  bell  rang  for  the  2  o'clock  meeting,  she  made  no 
preparation  for  going  to  church  ;  and  that  worried  him 
still  more.  But  he  was  quite  sure  that  when  the  night 
service  occurred  she  would  go  to  the  meeting.  O,  how 
anxious  he  was  to  see  her  getting  ready  to  go  to  church ; 
and  how  ready  he  was  to  accompany  her  to  the  meet- 
ing house.  But  she  did  not  offer  to  go.  And  then, 
on  retiring  that  night,  the  same  thing  occurred  as  on 
the  night  before.  He  retired  quite  early  ;  and  when 
his  wife  got  ready  to  retire,  she  supposed  he  was  sound 
asleep,  and  again  offered  very  fervent  prayer  for  him, 
and  for  the  continued  success  of  the  meeting.  He 
spent  a  restless  night.  The  next  morning  he  was  in 
great  hopes  that  his  wife  would  get  ready  and  go  to  the 
10  o'clock  meeting;  but  she  did  not  go.  He  was  now 
in  great  trouble,  that  in  his  rudeness,  in  a  moment  of 
passion,  he  had  offended  his  dear' wife.  He  had  never 
spoken  to  her  unkindly  before.  And  now  his  conduct 
was  keeping  her  away  from  the  meetings,  which  he 
knew  she  enjoyed  very  much.  He  was  in  great  trouble 
about  the  matter.  And  then  he  was  led  to  see  hisx>wn 
need  of  divine  salvation.  And  after  dinner  he  said  to 
his  wife:  "My  dear,  if  you  will  go  to  church  this 
afternoon,  I  will  go  with  you."  Her  heart  leaped  with 
joy,  and  she  said,  "  O,  yes,  husband,  I  shall  be  very 
glad  to  go  to  the  meeting,  and  still  more  glad  to  have 
you  go  with  me."  They  went  together  to  the  meeting 


96  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

%that  afternoon  :  and  at  the  close  of  the  sermon,  when 
the  invitation  was  given  for  the  anxious  to  come  for- 
ward, James  Gallager,  that  husband,  was  among  the 
first  to  go ;  and  in  that  very  meeting  he  found  Jesus 
precious  to  his  soul. 

Another  incident  occurred  during  the  progress  of  that 
meeting  which  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  note.  Elder  T. 
ascertained,  as  the  good  work  advanced,  that  quite  a 
number  of  interesting  young  men  in  the  city  had 
been  seduced  from  their  nascent  faith,  by  the  false 
teaching  of  a  young  Universalist  preacher  residing  in 
the  city.  The  Universalists  had  a  meeting  house  there, 
and  an  organized  society.  They  had  also  a  Sunday- 
school  connected  with  their  society.  The  preacher 
was  a  young  man  of  rather  captivating  manners,  and 
was  a  pleasant  talker.  He  had  entangled  the  young 
men  referred  to  above  in  the  web  of  his  sophistry ; 
and  they  could  not  be  made  to  feel  their  need  of  re- 
pentance towards  God,  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  in  order  to  their  salvation.  Consequently, 
they  stood  aloof  from  the  influence  which  was  leading 
so  many  around  them  to  the  Blessed  Jesus  for  eternal 
life.  Elder  T.  told  Mr.  Courtney,  that  this  influence 
over  the  young  men  must  be  broken  up,  or  the  good 
work  of  the  Lord,  then  in  progress,  would  be  materi- 
ally retarded.  Mr.  Courtney  replied  that  the  Metho- 
dist preachers  had  been  pitching  into  Universalism  re- 
peatedly, and  it  only  seemed  to  strengthen  the  cause 
of  the  Universalists  in  their  midst.  But  Elder  T.  told 
him  that  if  he  went  into  it,  he  should  do  it  to  kill.  So 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  97 

I 

Mr.  Courtney  said  to  him,  that  if  he  thought  it  best 
to  attack  that  false  system,  to  do  so,  and  he  would  give 
him  his  full  support.  He  did  determine  to  make  the 
attack  ;  and  after  having  prepared  himself  pretty  fully, 
he  announced  that  he  would  preach,  on  a  given  night, 
on  Universalism.  At  the  time  appointed  for  the  ser- 
mon on  that  subject,  the  Uuiversalists  came  out,  en 
masse,  to  hear  the  sermon.  Every  available  space,  in, 
and  around  the  house,  was  packed  with  anxious  audi- 
tors. The  delivery  of  the  sermon  on  that  occasion  oc- 
cupied two  full  hours  ;  and  many  delicate  ladies  stood 
the  whole  time,  and  listened  to  the  discussion,  without 
evincing  any  special  fatigue.  The  proposition  which 
Elder  T.  discussed  was  as  follows  :  " UNIVERSALISM, 

AS  NOW  BELIEVED  AND  TAUGHT  BY  THE  StfCT  DENOMIN- 
ATED UNIVERSALISTS  IN  THIS  COUNTRY,  IS  A  SPURIOUS 
RELIGION — A  FALSE  CHRISTIANITY." 

He  then  Avent  on  to  establish  the  truth  of  his  prop- 
osition : 

I.  From  the  fact  that  the  preaching  of  Universalism 
does  not  produce  the  fruits  that  attended  the  preaching 
of  Christ  and  the  Apostles.  Like  causes  produce  like 
results.  If  Universalism  be  true,  then  the  preaching 
of  that  doctrine  should  produce  effects  similar  to  those 
that  attended  the  preaching  of  Christ  and  the  Apostles. 
For  what  was  the  preaching  of  Christ  and  the  Apostles 
distinguished  ?  It  was  always  attended  with  three  im- 
portant results,  viz : 

1.  It  alarmed  men.     Their  fears  were  aroused,  etc. 

2.  It  reformed  men.     It  did  more  than  startle  the 


!»S  REMINISCENCES  AND.  INCIDENTS 

conscience.  It  reformed  the  man — changed  his  habits 
and  his  life.  The  Apostles  were  accustomed  to  appeal 
to  the  moral  results  produced  by  their  preaching  to 
prove  that  their  religion  was  from  God,  and  that  they 
were  its  divinely  appointed  teachers,  etc. 

3.  The  preaching  of  Christ  and  the  Apostles  did 
more  than  this.  It  not  only  alarmed  the  sinner,  and 
changed  the  outward  man;  but  it  went  down  to  the 
deep  foundations  of  the  soul  and  wrought  there  a  radi- 
cal change.  It  touched  and  renovated  the  heart.  It 
made  the  sinner  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus,  etc. 

But  the  preaching  of  Universalism  is  not  attended 
with  any  such  results,  1.  It  does  not  alarm  men.  It 
cries,  peace,  peace,  where  the  Lord  has  not  spoken 
peace.  It  sews  pillows  under  all  armholes.  What  would 
a  Universali>t  preacher  think,  if,  in  the  midst  of  one  of 
his  sermons,  scores  of  people  should  suddenly  cry  out, 
"Sir,  what  must  we  do  to  be  saved?"  etc.  2.  It  does 
not  reform  men.  Rev.  Matthew  Hale  Smith,  who  was 
for  twelve  years  engaged  in  the  ministry  of  that  sect, 
and  who  was  one  of  the  most  learned  and  talented 
ministers  of  that  denomination,  said,  in  Elder  T.'s 
pulpit  in  New  Haven,  Ct.,  soon  after  he  had  renounced 
Universalism,  and  espoused  the  cause  of  orthodox 
Christianity:  "Twelve  years  in  its  ministry  have  not 
brought  to  my  knowledge  one  instance  of  reformation 
from  that  cause."  Instead  of  reforming  men,  it  often 
transforms  them  almost  into  demons. 

Elder  T.  here  related  the  case  of  a  man  in  the  city 
of  New  Haven,  which  occurred  during  his  pastorate  in 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  99 

that  beautiful  place.  Elder  Knapp,  the  great  evangel- 
ist was  assisting  Elder  T.  in  a  scries  of  meetings  in 
the  First  Baptist  church  of  that  city,  in  the  winter 
and  spring  of  1841.  It  was  a  great  meeting;  and,  as 
above  stated,  about  600  souls  were  converted  and 
added  to  the  different  churches  in  the  city  as  the  result 
of  that  revival.  About  200  of  the  converts  united  with 
the  church  of  which  Elder  T.  was  pastor.  Elder 
Knnpp  was  very  severe  on  Infidelity,  Universalism, 
and  other  gross  heresies,  as  well  as  on  the  grosser  vices 
of  sinners  generally.  This  awakened  great  opposition 
on  the  part  of  skeptics,  and  of  the  people  of  the  baser 
sort  generally  throughout  the  city;  and  they  combined 
and  sent  off  to  Boston,  to  get  a  Universalist  preacher 
to  come  and  lecture  for  them.  A  large  hall  was  hired 
for  the  occasion  ;  and  great  pains  were  taken  to  give 
notice  of  the  lecture,  and  get  the  people  out  to  hear 
the  lecturer.  Quite  a  number  of  persons  were  at- 
tracted to  the  hall,  and  heard  the  lecture.  Amongst 
the  number  who  went  to  hear  the  address,  was  a  man 
who  had  formerly  been  too  free  a  drinker.  He  was 
employed  in  one  of  the  extensive  carriage  manu- 
factories in  the  city,  and  had,  at  one  time,  lost  his 
position  by  his  intemperate  habits.  But,  by  the  inter- 
position of  friends,  and  on  his  solemn  promise  that  he 
would  abstain  altogether  from  intoxicating  liquors,  he 
was  re-instated  in  his  former  position.  He  kept  his 
pledge  sacredly  up  to  the  time  when  he  went  to  hear 
the  lecture  of  the  Universalist  preacher.  The  glow 
of  health  began  to  rest  on  the  checks  of  his  once  nog- 


100  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

lected  wife  ;  and  the  former  rags  of  his  children,  of 
whom  he  had  several,  had  given  place  to  comfortable 
and  decent  attire.  Happiness  onco  more  smiled 
around  their  hearth-stone.  But,  alas,  that  father  and 
husband,  after  havirig  heard  that  lecture,  said  to  him- 
self :  "If  this  be  true,  why  should  I  deny  myself  any 
indulgence  which  my  appetite  may  crave?"  He  went 
•from  that  lecture  to  a  drinking-saloon,  and  went  home 
drunk.  The  next  day  he  was  dismissed  from  his  em- 
ployment ;  and  tears,  and  wretchedness,  and  woe,  and 
want  came  again  to  that  dear  family.  Such  is  the 
reformation  which  the  preaching  of  Universalism 
produces.  3.  It  does  not  convert  men.  Piety  is  .no 
part  of  the  system.  They  do  not  observe  family  prayer. 
Rev.  Matthew  Hale  Smith  says,  that  in  all  his  inter- 
course with  their  ministers,  he  never  found  one  who 
observed  family  prayer.  They  do  not  even  ask  a 
blessing  at  the  table.  Elder  Knapp  used  to  tell  of  a 
Universalist  minister  who  was  called  upon  on  a  par- 
ticular occasion  to  ask  a  blessing,  and  what  he  said.  A 
prominent  Universalist  in  the  community,  concluded 
to  give  a  dining  to  all  the  ministers  in  the  vicinity. 
When  they  assembled  around  the  dinner  table,  he 
thought  the  orthodox  ministers  would  expect  a  blessing 
to  be  asked;  and  he  thought  that  proper  courtesy 
to  his  own  minister  required  that  he  should  request 
him  to  ask  the  blessing.  So  he  said  to  his  minister, 
"Will  you  please  ask  a  blessing?"  His  minister  seemed 
to  be  taken  by  perfect  surprise,  and  exclaimed,  "A 
blessing  I  The  devil  1"  And  such  was  the  blessing 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  101 

they  had  from  the  Universalist  preacher.  The  fact 
is,  whenever  a  uuiversalist  is  converted  to  God,  he 
immediately  leaves  the  Universalist  Society,  and 
identifies  himself  with  an  orthodox  church.  He  finds 
nothing  congenial  now  in  association  with  Universal- 
ists. 

II.  Elder  T.'s  second  argument,  to  show  that  Uni- 
versalism  is  a  spurious  religion,  was  derived  from  the 
fact,  that  it  destroys  the  entire  substance  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  is  also  contradictory  to  itself.  Universalism 
professes  to  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  saves  all  men. 
But  from  what  does  he  save  all  men?  He  can  not 
save  men  from  &  future  hdl;  for  their  doctrine  affirms 
that  their  is  no  such  hell.  He  does  not  save  men 
from  &  present  hell,  or  from  the  just  demerit  of  their 
sins  ;  for  their  doctrine  affirms  that  a  righteous  retribu- 
tion immediately  and  irresistibly  follows  every  »trans- 
gressiou.  And  it  will  not  be  seriously  pretended, 
that  our  blessed  Lord  saves  all  men  from  sin  in  the 
present  life.  You  see  the  drunkard  every  day  in  your 
city,  reeling  on  the  side- walk,  and  staggering  to  his 
fall  in  the  gutter.  You  hear  the  profane  swearer, 
belching  forth  his  vile  blasphemies  in  the  open  face  of 
day.  In  a  word,  you  see  sin  in  all  its  hideous  forms, 
prevailing  all  around  you.  From  what,  then,  it  may 
again  be  asked,  does  Jesus  save  men  according  to  this 
system?  Obviously  from  nothing  at  all.  Ex  nihil, 
nihilfit;  from  nothing,  nothing  comes.  If,  therefore, 
there  be  no  future  hell  from  which  Christ  saves  sin- 
ners ;  and  if  a  righteous  retribution  immediately  and 


102  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

irresistibly  follows  every  transgression  ;  and  if  till  men 
are  not  saved  from  sin  in  this  life  ;  then  from  what 
does  Christ  save  all  men  ?  Nothing ;  absolutely 
nothing,  etc. 

III.  The   third   argument   adduced   to   show   that 
Universalism  is  a  false  religion,  was  derived  from  the 
fact,  that  it  destroys  the   mercy   of   God.     Mercy   is 
favor  to  the  ill-deserving  ;  or  it  is  pardon  to  the  guilty. 
But  if  a  righteous  retribution  immediately  and  irresist- 
ibly follows  every  transgression,  as  the  system  affirms, 
then  where  is   there   any   room    for  the    exercise   of 
mercy?     It  is  utterly  excluded,  etc.  etc.    , 

IV.  It  was  shown  that  the   system   tends   to   the 
destruction  of  ail  government.     For  it  is  very  evident, 
if  all  wrong  doing,  or  sin,  is  followed  by  an  immediate 
and  irresistible  retribution,  then  all  the  inflictions  of 
parents  upon  rebellious  children,  and   of   magistrates 
upon  the  state  criminal,  are  most  unjustifiable  tyranny. 
It  is  punishing  twice  for  the  same  offense,  etc.  etc. 

V.  Universalism  was  shown  to  be  a  spurious  relig- 
ion, because  it  tends  to  crime.     It  virtualh'  annihilates 
all   distinction   between   right    and     wronir — between 

o  c> 

virtue  and  vico.  It  teaches  that  whether  a  man  dies 
a  felon,  or  a  martyr  ;  a  saint,  or  a  sinner  ;  lives  well,  or 
ill;  does  good  or  not ;  keeps  God's  law,  or  breaks  it ; 
lives  in  lust  and  dies  in  crime — .ill  this,  though  it  may 
subject  him  to  some  temporal  inconvenience,  will  have 
no  effect  on  his  future  condition.  Be  pure  in  heart,  or 
vile;  follow  holiness,  or  pollution — all  will  at  last  see 
God  alike,  and  dwell  with  him  forever.  It  was  shown 


OF  A  LONG  LITE.  103 

conclusively  that  it  leads  to  suicide  and  even  to 
murder  itself,  etc.  etc.  These  points  were  fully 
elaborated. 

And  here  the  first  sermon  was  concluded ;  and  he 
announced  that  he  would  resume  the  discussion  two 
nights  afterwards.  He  had  spent  two  full  hours  in  the 
discussion  of  the  above  named  points,  and  had  not  yet 
touched  the  Bible  argument.  The  Universalists  did 
not  know  what  to  make  of  the  discussion.  They  had 
never  heard  it  treated  in  that  way  before.  They  had 
heard  the  Methodist  preachers  denounce  the  system, 
and  adduce  certain  passages  of  Scripture  to  sustain 
their  positions.  But  denunciation  did  not  convince 
them ;  and  they  had  their  own  method  of  explaining 
away  the  Bible  passages  on  which  the  Methodist 
preachers  so  confidently  relied,  to  establish  their  cause. 
But  when  rigid  logic  and  clear  reasoning  had  been 
brought  to  bear  on  their  system  for  two  hours,  they 
did  not  know  what  to  think  of  it,  nor  what  to  say 

*/ 

about  it.  They  determined,  therefore,  that  they  would 
hear  the  rest  of  the  argument.  Accordingly  they  came 
back  two  nights  afterwards,  to  hear  what  more  would 
be  said  against  their  system.  The  people  seemed  de- 
termined to  get  into  the  meeting-house,  if  possible ; 
and  many  came  long  before  the  time  for  beginning, 
that  they  might  be  sure  to  get  seats.  The  pews  had 
doors  to  them.  Every  possible  space  was  filled  in 
every  pew  ;  and  in  some  instances  they  sat  double  in 
the  pews.  When  the  pews  were  thus  packed  to  their 
utmost  capacity,  the  pew  doors  were  closed,  and  extra 


104  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

seats  were  placed  all  along  both  sides  of  the  aisles, 
against  the  pew  doors,  and  the  extra  seats  were  then 
densely  crowded.  The  pulpit  platform,  and  steps,  and 
even  the  sofa  in  the  pulpit,  were  crowded  with  anxious 
listeners.  Then  every  standing  space  in  the  house  was 
occupied.  Of  course  the  ladies  that  came  after  the 
pew  doors  were  closed,  and  the  benches  in  the  aisles 
which  were  placed  against  them  were  filled  could  not 
displace  the  occupants  of  the  pews  ;  and  consequently 
many  of  them  were  compelled  to  stand,  in  the  dense 
crowd,  during  the  whole  service.  It  was  wonderful  to 
see  delicate  ladies  standing  two  hours  and  a  half — for 
such  was  the  length  of  the  service,  including  the  pre- 
liminaries— and  evincing  no  special  fatigue.  On  ordi- 
nary occasions  many  of  those  women  would  have  tired 
while  a  prayer  of  usual  length  was  being  offered.  The 
Universalists  were  present/  again,  en  masse,  together 
with  their  preacher. 

Elder  T.  resumed  the  argument  that  night  by  show- 
ing: 

VI.  That  Universalism  is  a  spurious  religion,  be- 
cause it  charges  God,   and  all  holy  beings,  with  the 
most  consummate  folly  and  weakness,  in  the  intense 
solicitude  which  they  have  evinced  in  the  welfare  of 
the  souls  of  perishing  sinners.     This  point  was  fully 
elaborated. 

VII.  Universalism  was  shown  to  be  a  false  religion, 
from    awful    facts  exhibited    in   the   state   of   fallen 

angels,  and    those  of   our  race  who  have  died  in  im- 
o 

penitence. 


OF  A  LONG  LITE. 

1.  Look  at  the  state  of  fallen  angels.     It  is  said  in 
2  Peter  11:4,  that  "God  spared  not  the  angels  that 
sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  hell,  and  delivered  them 
into  chains  of   darkness,  to    be  reserved  unto   judg^ 
ment,"  &c. 

2.  He  destroyed  the  old  world.    "What  became  of  the 
ante-diluvian  sinners?     Were  they  taken  up  to  heaven 
in  all  their  wickedness?     Reason   says,  no.     But  v:e 
are  not  left  to  conjecture  as  to  this  matter.    Thousands 
of  years  afterwards  they  are  spoken  of  by  Peter  in  his 
Second  Epistle,  3d  chapter  and  19th  verse,  as  "  spirits 
in  prison." 

3.  The  case  of  the  Sodomites  was  also  adduced,  as 
evidence  of  the  overthrow  of  sinners.     Thousands  of 
years  afterwards,  they  are  spoken  of   as   "  examples, 
suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire." 

4.  Pharaoh  and  his  hosts  ;  the  unbelieving  Jews  ;  to 
whom   Jesus    said,  "Ye   shall   die  in  your  sins,  and 
whither  I  go  ye  cannot  come;"  the   rich   man  in  the 
parable  ;  and  Judas,  of  whom  the  Savior  said,  "  It  had 
been  good  for  that  man,  if  he  had  never  been  born;" 
these  were  ail  dwelt  upon  to  show  that  Universalism  is 
a  false  religion. 

Then  he  referred  to  the  case  of  the  pirate,  who  might 
be  shot  down  and  killed  instantly  while  he  was  strew- 
ing the  deck  of  his  prize  with  the  blood  of  his  hapless 
victims  ;  and  he  also  referred  to  the  midnight  assassin, 
who  might  be  killed  just  in  the  act  of  plunging  his 
dagger  into  the  bosom  of  the  sleeping  innocent.  What, 
he  asked,  must  become  of  such  characters  ?  Could  they 


106  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

be  admitted  into  heaven  ?  Reason  revolts  against  any 
such  conclusion.  All  these  points  were  fully  discussed. 
VIII.  Univcrsalism  was  shown  to  be  false  because  it 
would  require  us  to  reverse  the  reading  of  a  very  large 
number  of  passages  in  the  Bible.  "  The  wicked  shall 
be  turned  into  hell,  and  all  the  nations  that  forget 
God,"  would  be  required  to  be  read,  "The  wicked 
shall  be  turned  into  heaven,"  &c.  **  The  wages  of  sin 
is  death,"  would  have  to  be  read,  "  The  wages  of  sin 
is  life."  "  Broad  is  the  way,  and  wide  is  the  gate  that 
leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  be  that  go  in 
thereat,"  would  have  to  be  read,  "  Broad  is  the  way, 
and  wide  is  the  gate  that  leadeth  to  heaven,  and  all  go 
in  thereat."  "  He  that  belie  veth  not  shall  be  damned," 
must  be  read,  "  He  that  believcth  not  shall  be  saved." 
"Except  a  man  be  born  again  he  cannot  see  the  king- 
dom of  God,"  must  read,  "  If  a  man  be  not  born  again 
he  shall  nevertheless  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  "  Ex- 
cept ye  repent  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish,"  must  read, 
"If  a  man  does  not  repent  he  shall  not  perish." 
"  Fear  not  them  that  kill  the  body,  but  are  not  able  to 
kill  the  soul ;  but  rather  fear  him  who  is  able  to  de- 
stroy both  soul  and  body  in  hell,"  should  be  made  to 
read,  "  Fear  them  that  kill  the  body,  but  do  not  be 
afraid  that  the  soul  maybe  destroyed."  "  These  shall 
go  away  into  everlasting  punishment,"  should  read, 
"These  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  life."  "And 
in  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  being  in  torment,"  should 
read,  "And  in  heaven  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  being 
happy,"  etc.,  etc. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  107 

IX.  Once  more  Univeraalism  was  shown  to  be  false 
because  it  is  at  war  with  men's  consciences.  The  fact 
is,  Universalists  themselves  do  not  feel  satisfied  on  this 
point.  There  is  something  in  every  man's  bosom  that 
tells  him  there  is  a  hell.  It  is  related  that  a  foreigner 
by  the  name  of  Francisco,  who  had  gotten  into  great 
trouble,  contemplated  destroying  his  life.  He  supplied 
himself  with  a  brace  of  pistols,  and  loaded  them  with 
care,  and  went  to  see  Mr.  Skinner,  a  noted  Universal- 
ist  preacher  residing  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  He  asked  Mr. 
Skinner  if  there  was  a  future  hell.  Mr.  Skinner  re- 
plied, "O  no,  there  is  no  future  hell.  That  is  a  mere 
figment  of  the  distempered  fancy  of  the  orthodox." 
Then  Francisco,  drew  out  his  pistols,  and  putting  one 
of  them  to  one  of  his  temples,  and  the  other  to  the 
other  temple,  he  said,  Mr.  Skinner  I  am  tired  of  this 
world,  and  have  determined  to  quit  it.*  Now,  sir,  tell 
me  again  that  there  is  no  future  hell,  and  I  will  end 
my  life  this  instant."  "Stop,  stop,"  said  Skinner, 
"there  may  be  a  hell."  "Yes,"  said  Elder  T.,  "there 
may  be,  not  only,  but  there  is  a  fearful  hell,  into 
which  God's  incorrigible  foes  shall  at  last  be  turned, 
'where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quench- 
ed," and  'where  the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascend- 
eth  up  forever  and  ever.' ' 

The  discourse  was  concluded  by  an  earnest  and 
touching  appeal  to  the  vast  assembly  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come,  and  lay  hold  on  eternal  life.  They 
were  assured  that  there  was  no  good  reason  why  any 
of  them  should  lie  down  in  eternal  burnings.  For 


108  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

"God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  be- 
gotten Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life,"  and  Jesus  is 
"the  propitiation  for  our  sins  and  not  for  ours  only  but 
also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  And  with  many 
tender  words  did  he  beseech  them  to  come  to  Jesus, 
"that  they  might  have  life." 

At  the  close  of  the  discourse  the  Universalist  preach- 
er attempted  to  speak  ;  but  Elder  Courtney,  the  pastor, 
forbade  him.  He  said  to  the  Universalist  preacher,  in 
very  imperative  tones,  "Sit  down,  sir."  And  when  he 
still  attempted  to  apeak,  Elder  Courtney  advanced  to- 
wards him,  and  shook  his  finger  at  him,  and  said,  in 
tones  more  imperative,  "Sit  down,  sir,  I  say  ;  sit  down 
sir."  Mr.  Courtney  was  a  stout,  fine  looking  man; 
and  in  his  young  days,  he  had  been  considerable  of  a 
boxer.  He  could  have  taken  the  little  Universalist 
preacher  by  the  nape  of  the  neck,  and  hurled  him  out 
of  the  house  in  a  moment.  Just  then  Elder  T.  re- 
quested the  Christian  friends  to  sing  a  spiritual  song, 
which  they  did  with  a  vim.  They  had  barely  finished 
the  song  when  he  said,  "Let  us  pray."  In  his  prayer 
he  shook  the  poor  Universalist  preacher  over  hell  for 
some  five  minutes,  and  besought  the  good  Lord  to 
save  him  from  the  burning  pit  to  which  his  feet  were 
tending.  "When  his  prayer  was  finished,  he  immediately 
asked  the  friends  to  sing  again;  so  that  no  opportunity 
WHS  allowed  the  Universalist  preacher  to  speak;  and 
soon  afterwards  the  assembly  was  dismissed  for  the 
night. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  ,  109 

The  next  morning  placards  were  posted  all  over  the 
the  city,  headed,  "Teasdale's  misrepresentations  an- 
swered in  the  Universalist  church,  to-night."  The  public 
were  cordially  invited  to  attend.  And,  then,  there 
was  a  challenge  to  Elder  T.  to  debate  the  subject  of 
Universalism  Avith  any  one  of  several  of  their  most 
prominent  men,  residing  in  Philadelphia,  Cincinnati  or 
Saint  Louis.  Elder  T.  said  nothing  to  deter  any  from 
going  to  hear  the  answer  to  his  discourses.  The  young 
men  for  whose  benefit  the  sermons  of  Elder  T.  were 
preached,  more  especially,  went  to  hear  the  answer  to 
them  that  night.  And  the  litter  failure  of  the  Univer- 
salist preacher  to  meet  and  answer  the  arguments  of 
Elder  T.,  satisfied  the  young  men  that  it  would  not  do 
to  trust  the  doctrine  of  Universalism  for  salvation  ; 
and  over  twenty  of  them  immediately  came  forward 
for  prayers  in  the  Baptist  meeting,  and  were  very  soon 
converted,  and  then  they  united  with  the  church. 

The  next  night  after  the  Universalist  had  attempted 
to  reply  to  Elder  T.,  he  gave  notice  that  he  would 
answer  the  challenge  which  had  been  so  conspicuously 
posted  up  all  o\7er  the  city,  and  he  invited  his  Univer- 
salist friends  to  be  present  to  hear  his  reply  to  their 
challenge.  Accordingly  they  all  came  again,  and  the 
house  was  densely  packed  as  before.  Elder  T.  took  for 
his  text  on  this  occasion  the  passage  in  Nehemiah  vi., 
3.  "I  am  doing  a  great  work,  so  that  I  cannot  come 
down  :  why  should  the  work  cease,  whilst  I  leave  it, 
and  come  down  to  you." 

His  object  in  the  discourse  was  to  compare  the  work 


1 1 0  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

in  their  meeting,  with  that  in  which  Nehemiah  was  en- 
gaged in  Jerusalem.  The  points  of  similarity  between 
the  two  were  stated  to  be  as  follows  : 

1.  The  worl^  of  Nehemiah  and  the   Jews,  was    em- 
phatically the  work   of  the   Lord.     It  was   begun   in 
fasting  and  prayer,  and  it  was  carried  on    in   prayer. 
So  was  their  work  in  this  meeting,  etc. 

2.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  rubbish  to  be  removed 
before  the  Jews  could  begin  to  build.     So  it  was  in 
their  work.     Variations,     discords,    and   animosities 
amongst  the  members,  and  other  stumbling-blocks,  had 
to  be  removed  out  of  the  "way,  before  they  could  be- 
gin to  build,  etc. 

3.  The  Jews   had   bitter   enemies   and  great    op- 
position to  encounter  in  their  work.    Sanballot,  Tobiah 
and   Geshera    were   inveterate  enemies  of  their  work. 
First  they   ridiculed   it,    and  "laughed  the  people   to 
scorn,  and  despised  them  and  said,  What  is  this  thing 
that  ye  do?      Will  ye  rebel  against  the  King?''     etc. 
So   sinners  ridicule  their   work.     They  say  the   con- 
verts will  not  stand  for  six  months,  etc.     Secondly, 
the  enemies   of   the  Jews   threatened    to    make  war 
against  their  work,    and  hinder  it.     So  it   had   been 
in  their  work.     And  here  he  referred  to  the  base  at-' 
tempts  of  the  Universalist's  to  hinder  their  work.  etc. 
Thirdly,  the  enemies  of  the  Jews  sought  at  length  to 
hinder  the  work  by  strategy.     They  tried  to  get   Ne- 
hemiah to  leave  the  work,  and    meet  them   in  one  of 
the  villages  in  the  plain  of  Ono.     For  they  thought  to 
do  him  mischief.     So  Elder  T.  said,  "I  have   received 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  Ill 

to-day  Sanballot  s  open  letter  in  the  hand  of  a  servant 
— a  colored  man."  And  then  he  read  the  letter  to 
the  great  congregation.  The  coincidence  between 
Sanballot's  sending  a  letter .  to  Nehemiah  of  similar 
character,  and  in  precisely  the  same  manner,  excited 
an  involuntary  smile  in  the  vast  assembly.  "And 
now,"  said  he,  "I  answer  this  letter,  and  the  challenge 
which  has  been  posted  all  over  the  city  in  the  language 
of  the  noble  Nehemiah,  in  reply  to  the  letter  of  San- 
ballot,  "I  am  doing  a  great  work,  so  that  I  can  not 
come  down  :  why  should  the  work  cease,  whilst  I  leave 
it,  and  come  down  to  you?" 

This  last  sermon  on  Universalism  was  characterized 
by  the  keenest  sarcasm.  Elder  T.  was  satisfied  that  the 
people  had  had  enough  of  Universalism;  and  his  ob- 
ject was  to  bring  to  bear  upon  the  system  the  severest 
ridicule  possible.  The  effect  of  the  discussion  upon 
the  community  at  large  was  truly  wonderful.  The 
young  Universalist  preacher  was  so  mortified  that  he 
at  once  left  the  city ;  and  for  a  period  of  six  months 
there  was  no  service,  and  no  Sunday-school  in  the 
Universalist  meeting-house.  The  leaders  of  the  sect 
were  very  angry  with  Elder  T. ;  and  said  that  he  had 
broken  up  their  society.  Mr.  Courtney  in  writing 
to  Elder  T.'s  church  in  Pittsburgh,  begging  them 
to  allow  him  to  remain  still  longer  in  Zanesville, 
said,  that  on  a  given  night  he  had  skinned  Uni- 
versalism ;  on  another  night  he  had  hung  up  the 
skin  to  dry ;  and  on  another  night  he  had  fried  the 
carcass  on  a  grid-iron.  So,  Universalism  was  com- 


H2  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

pletely  destroyed  for  the  time  being  in  Zanesville. 
Still  another  incident  in  connection  with  that  meet- 
Ing  must  not  be  omitted.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
meeting,  an  interesting  and  intelligent  young  man, 
came  forward  for  prayers,  with  the  great  crowds  who 
were  then  inquiring  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved. 
He  continued  to  come  forward  regularly  for  some  time. 
Then  he  ceased  to  come  forvrard.  Nothing  was 
thought  of  his  not  coming  forward ;  for  many  were 
professing  faith  in  Christ  every  day ;  and  it  vas  sup- 
posed that  he  was  among  that  happy  number.  But  at 
the  expiration  of  six  weeks  Elder  T.  felt  that  he  must 
return  to  his  family  and  to  his  church  in  Pittsburgh, 
and  accordingly  gave  notice  that  he  expected  to  preach 
his  closing  sermon  on  that  Sunday  night.  A  collection 
for  a  benevolent  object  was  to  be  taken  up  that  night. 
Before  the  sermon  commenced  on  that  occasion,  a  note 
was  handed  to  Elder  T.  in  the  pulpit.  He  supposed 
it  was  most  likely  a  request  for  special  prayer,  and 
therefore  opened  it  at  once.  The  note  contained  a 
small  contribution  for  the  benevolent  object,  and  it 
read  as  follows : 

•'I  give  this  mite,  and  though  hut  small. 

It  will  quite  amply  serve  to  tell, 
How  I've  rejected  Christ,  and  all, 
And  sealed  my  soul  at  last  for  hell. 

Those  sermons  which  you  daily  preach, 

To  many  precious  souls  have  been 
Savors  of  life;  but  me  they  teach 

That  I  am  doomed,  undone  by  sin. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  113 

I  know  I'm  lost,  but  I'm  resigned; 

To  peace  and  hope  I've  bid  farewell; 
E'en  now  sometimes  my  gloomy  mind. 

Has  foretastes  of  a  dreadful  hell. 

This,  this  is  solemn,  awful  truth, 
Which  burns  like  fire  within  my  heart; 

And,  O,  how  hard  thus  in  my  youth, 
From  peace  and  hope  and  heaven  to  part/' 

The  young  man  signed  his  full  name  to  the  note ; 
and  Elder  T.  read  it,  name  and  all,  to  the  great  assem- 
bly. When  the  name  was  announced  there  was  a  very 
deep  feeling  throughout  the  congregation:  and  sup- 
pressed sighs  and  sobs  were  heard  in  every  part  of  the 
house.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  some  of  the  fathers 
and  mothers  in  Israel  gathered  around  the  dear  young 
man,  and  besought  him,  with  many  tears,  to  go  for- 
ward again  for  prayers.  But  they  could  not  move  him. 
Elder  T.  then  left  the  platform  in  front  of  the  pulpit, 
and  went  down  the  aisle  to  the  pew  which  the  young 
man  occupied,  and  gave  him  his  hand,  and  entreated 
him  to  go  forward  with  him.  He  looked  up  into  the 
face  of  Elder  T.  without  a  tear,  and  in  the  most  courte- 
ous and  respectful  manner  said  to  him,  "  Sir,  I  thank 
you  for  all  the  interest  which  you  have  evinced  in  my 
spiritual  welfare.  You  have  done  your  whole  duty  to 
me.  Your  skirts  will  never  be  stained  with  the  blood 
of  my  soul.  But,  sir,  it  is  now  too  late  for  me  to 
make  an  effort  to  be  saved.  In  the  early  part  of  this 
meeting  I  felt  deeply  my  need  of  divine  salvation. 
But  I  did  not  yield  my  heart  to  Jesus ;  and  now  I  am 
comparatively  insensible  to  my  soul's  welfare.  I  fear 


114  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

that  I  have  grieved  the  Spirit  forever  away."  And  no 
entreaty  could  induce  him  to  go  forward,  and  renew 
his  efforts  to  secure  the  salvation  of  his  soul.  A  fresh 
outburst  of  interest  again  in  the  meeting  that  night — 
there  being  some  sixty  or  seventy  persons  forward  for 
prayers,  and  many  of  them  new  cases — made  Elder  T. 
feel  that  he  could  not  break  away  from  the  meeting, 
under  such  circumstances  ;  and  he  finally  remained  two 
weeks  longer.  But  when  he  closed  his  labors  in  the 
meeting,  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Pittsburgh,  he  left 
that  dear  young  man,  laboring  under  the  same  de- 
spondent impression,  and  insisting  to  the  last  that  he 
had  grieved  the  Holy  Spirit  forever  away.  Whether 
he  had  done  so  or  not,  none  could  then  tell.  But  it  is 
clear,  from  the  teaching  of  the  Bible,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  may  be  thus  finally  and  forever  grieved  away. 
God  says,  "My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with 
man."  It  was  said  of  Ephraim  :  "  Ephraim  ia  joined 
to  idols;  let  him  alone."  And  Stephen,  the  proto- 
martyr,  said  to  his  murderers:  "Ye  stiff-necked  and 
uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist 
the  Holy  Ghost:  as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye."  And 
God  says  :  "  Woe  unto  them  when  I  shall  depart  from 
them." 


OF  A  LONG  LlFfi.  115 


CHAPTER  VI. 


In  the  summer  of  1849,  Elder  T.  was  invited  to  de- 
liver the  annual  address  before  the  Caliopean  Society 
of  Granville  College,  in  Ohio.  The  address  was  on 
the  subject  of  Effective  Oratory,  and  was  published 
by  request  of  the  Society.  The  distinguished  Alexander 
Campbell  had  been  chosen  to  address  the  other  literary 
Society  of  the  College.  But  owing  to  the  prevalence 
of  the  cholera  in  certain  places  in  that  section  at  that 
time,  he  declined  going  to  Granville,  and  another  gen- 
tleman was  elected  to  fill  his  place.  On  his  return 
home,  Elder  T.  found  the  river  so  low  between  Wheel- 
ing and  Pittsburgh,  that  he  did  not  dare  to  take  a 
steamboat,  lest  he  might  not  be  able  to  reach  home  in 
time  for  his  Sunday  services.  He,  therefore,  took  the 
stage  from  Wheeling  to  Pittsburgh.  On  his  arrival  at 
Wellsburg,  the  dining  place,  he  met  Mr.  Campbell, 
who  insisted  that  he  should  lie  over  a  day,  and  go  out 
with  him  to  Bethany,  and  spend  the  night  with  him. 
As  he  had  never  been  at  Bethany,  he  concluded  to  ac- 
cept Mr.  Campbell's  invitation,  and  go  out  and  spend 
the  night  at  his  commodious  home.  Some  one  had  rid- 
den a  horse  into  the  village  of  Wellsburg  from  Bethany  ; 
and  Mr.  Campbell  was  expecting  to  lead  him  back. 


116  BEMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

So  Elder  T.  rode  the  horse  out  to  Bethany,  a  distance 
of  about  six  miles,  and  spent  the  night  with  Mr. 
Campbell  at  his  own  mansion.  It  proved  to  be  a  very 
pleasant  visit  to  Elder  T.  He  had  thus  an  opportunity 
of  looking  through  the  College  ;  and  of  witnessing  the 
home  habits  of  his  distinguished  host.  He  found  that 
in  family  worship,  every  member  of  the  family  was 
expected  to  repeat  a  portion  of  Scripture — not  a  verse 
merely,  but  a  Psalm,  or  a  paragraph  from  the  New 
Testament,  or  some  other  portion  of  the  Word  of  God. 
The  whole  service  was  solemn  and  impressive. 

During  his  visit  there  he  walked  out  into  the  yard  to 
see  Mr.  Campbell's  studio.  It  was  an  octagon  of  con- 
siderable size,  and  was  built  of  brick.  The  library  was 
very  large,  and  seemed  to  be  well  arranged.  The  build- 
ing was  almost  covered  with  vines.  He  remarked  to 
Mr.  Campbell,  "I  see,  sir,  that  you  dwell  under  your 
own  vine;  but  the  fig  tree  seems  to  be  wanting."  It 
was  intended  as  a  pleasant  intimation  that  the  system 
of  Mr.  Campbell  was  in  part  true,  but  the  essence  of 
the  gospel  was  wanting,  and  it  was  so  received.  Mr. 
Campbell  sent  him  back  to  Wellsburg  in  time  for  the 
stage  that  day,  and  he  arrived  in  Pittsburgh  in  good 
time  to  get  ready  for  his  Sunday  services. 

In  the  autumn  of  1849,  Elder  T.  attended  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Ohio  Baptist  State  Convention,  at  Columbus, 
Ohio.  It  was  a  large  and  interesting  meeting.  On  the 
night  after  his  arrival,  there  was  a  meeting  in  the  in- 

o  o 

terest  of  the  Bible  cause ;  and  without  obtaining  his 
consent,  the  Pastor  announced  that  he  would  be  one  of 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  117 

the  speakers  on  the  occasion.  He  had  been  preaching 
in  a  series  of  meetings  for  two  or  three  weeks,  and  by 
some  exposure  had  contracted  a  hoarseness  ;  and  he 
determined  that  he  would  not  speak  on  that  occasion 
at  all.  Accordingly  he  went  to  his  quarters  ;  took  off 
his  boots,  and  put  on  his  slippers;  and  took  off  his 
coat,  and  put  on  his  wrapper,  and  determined  he  would 
not  go  to  the  meeting  that  night.  The  bell  rang,  and 
a  great  crowd  assembled  at  the  church ;  but  he  was  not 
there.  By  and  by,  he  heard  a  carriage  drive  up  before 
the  door  of  the  dwelling  at  which  he  was  stopping, 
and  in  came  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cheene\*,  the  pastor  of  the 
church,  in  an  evident  state  of  excitement,  and  found 
him  sitting  by  a  comfortable  fire,  and  with  wrapper 
and  slippers  on,  he  seemed  to  be  taking  his  comfort. 
He  inquired  what  it  meant.  He  told  him  it  meant 
that  he  did  not  intend  to  go  out  that  night.  But  the 
pastor  said  that  would  never  do  ;  that  the  house  was 
full;  and  that  many  had  come  to  the  meeting  expressly 
to  hear  his  address.  He  told  the  pastor  that  he  had 
fully  determined  not  to  go  to  the  meeting  that  night, 
and  that  consequently  he  had  dismissed  the  subject  en- 
tirely from  his  mind,  and  had  thought  of  nothing  in 
the  shape  of  an  address  ;  and,  therefore,  he  could  not 
possibly  speak.  And  besides  he  was  somewhat  hoarse 
and  would  speak  with  difficulty,  if  he  was  ever  so  well 
prepared  to  make  an  address.  But  the  pastor  insisted 
that  he  should  accompany  him  to  the  church,  and  make 
his  own  apology  to  the  people,  if  he  thought  he  could 
not  speak.  So  finally  he  yielded  to  the  importunate 


118  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

pleadings  of  the  pastor,  and  went  with  him  to  the 
meeting.  On  his  arrival  there,  he  found,  sure  enough, 
a  very  large,  expectant  audience,  composed  of  many  of 
the  first  people  of  the  city.  A  brother  was  to  precede 
him  in  a  speech,  and  he  told  him  to  go  ahead,  and  if 
he  felt  like  speaking  when  he  got  through,  he  would 
follow  with  a  few  remarks.  While  that  brother  was 
speaking,  under  the  inspiration  of  the  expectant  crowd, 
and  from  some  irritation  in  being  pressed  so  severely 
by  the  pastor,  he  began  to  think  of  something  to  say  ; 
and  in  a  few  minutes  his  mind  opened  to  a  train  of 
thought  so  clear  that  he  felt  he  could  venture  to  speak 
when  the  brother  got  through.  Accordingly  he  made 
a  speech  on  the  occasion,  on  THE  DEMOCRACY  OF  THE 
BIBLE.  He  had  never  made  a  speech  on  that  subject 
in  all  his  life  before.  It  was  all  new  to  him.  But 
such  was  the  exhilaration  of  his  mind  at  the  time,  that 
he  made,  as  he  thinks,  one  of  the  very  best  speeches 
of  his  life.  It  gave  universal  satisfaction.  A  Demo- 
cratic member  of  Congress  who  was  present  and  heard 
the  speech,  said  it  was  one  of  the  best  speeches  he  had 
ever  heard.  He  has  often  regretted  that  he  did  not  go 
to  his  room  immediately  after  the  delivery  of  the 
speech  and  write  it  out  in  full.  He  has  never  been 
able  since  to  reproduce  that  address.  It  has  often 
seemed  to  him  since,  that  no  entreaties  could  induce 
him  to  attempt  to  make  an  address,  under  such  circum- 
stances, again. 

During   the    winter  of    1850,    Elder    T.    went    to 
Phoenixville,  Chester  County,  Pa.,  to  assist  his  special 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  119 

friend,  Rev.  Wm.  S.  Hall,  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  that  place,  in  a  series  of  meetings.  Seven- 
teen years  before,  he  had  preached  there,  and  assisted 
in  resuscitating  the  Baptist  church  in  that  village. 
They  held  their  meetings  during  the  first  protracted 
meeting  in  which  he  participated  with  them,  in  a 
shanty  erected  in  a  neighboring  grove.  Several 
ministers  took  part  in  that  meeting,  among  \\hom  may 
be  mentioned  Elders  D.  A.  Nichols,  Leonard  Fletcher, 
Dr.  W.  T.  Brantly,  Sr.,  W.  S.  Hall  and  himself. 
These  meetings  were  largely  attended,  and  they  were 
greatly  blessed  in  the  conversion  of  souls.  The 
church  was  re  organized,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Collum,  of 
Philadelphia,  was  called  to  the  pastorate.  From  that 
time  the  church  has  gone  on  prospering,  until  it  has 
become  one  of  the  most  important  and  influential 
churches  in  all  that  section  of  country. 

The  meeting,  held  by  Elder  T.  with  this  church  in 
1850,  was  wonderfully  blessed.  Some  sixty  rejoicing 
converts  were  added  to  the  Baptist  church  alone;  and 
many  converts  in  the  meeting  united  with  other 
denominations.  The  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  and  his  excellent  wife,  he  found,  were  both 
converted  in  the  meeting  of  1850. 

From  Phcenixville,  Elder  T.  went  to  Philadelphia 
to  assist  Rev.  J.  L.  Burrows  in  a  brief  series  of  meet- 
ings in  that  city.  At  the  close  of  his  labors  in  Phila- 
delphia, he  returned  to  his  home  in  Pittsburgh,  and 
made  preparation  for  his  removal  from  that  city,  on 
account  of  the  failure  of  his  wife's  health.  When  a 


120  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

child  she  had  been  subject  to  frequent  attacks  of 
croup.  Now,  under  the  influence  of  the  smoke,  and  dust, 
and  soot  of  this  Birmingham  of  America,  the  disease 
took  the  form  of  asthma ;  and  the  attacks  became  so 
frequent  and  so  violent  that  his  family  physician  told 
him  plainly  that  she  could  not  live  there  another 
year.  He  determined,  therefore,  at  once,  to  quit  the 
iron  city,  and  seek  a  climate  more  congenial  to  his 
wife's  comfort.  He  had  learned  that  the  prairies  of 
Illinois  were  peculiarly  favorable  for  that  sort  of 
disease;  and  he  determined  to ^give  them  a  trial  for 
his  wife's  benefit. 

During  his  pastorate  in  Pittsburgh,  over  four 
hundred  souls  were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism 
alone ;  and  many  others  were  added  by  letters  from 
sister  churches.  He  also  united  a  considerable  num- 
ber in  the  bonds  of  matrimony  in  this  city. 

Having  determined,  as  above  stated,  to  remove  from 
Pittsburgh,  on  account  of  his  wife's  health,  he  resign- 
ed the  charge  of  the  church  in  that  city,  and  made 
arrangements  to  go  away  at  once. 

Accordingly,  having  received  a  call  from  the  First 
Baptist  church  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  he  concluded 
to  accept  it;  and  he  removed  in  the  spring  of  1850, 
from  Pittsburgh  to  that  city.  The  church  there  had 
just  finished  an  excellent  and  commodious  house  of 
worship  ;  and  he  preached  the  opening  sermon  on  the 
first  Sunday  in  April  of  that  year.  His  labors  in 
Springfield,  during  his  brief  stay  of  but  little  more 
than  two  years,  were  abundantly  blessed.  More  than 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  121 

a  hundred  souls  were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism 
and  by  letter,  and  the  church  was  greatly  built  up 
and  strengthened  under  his  earnest  labors  amongst 
them. 

During  his  pastorate  in  Springfield,  he  established 
a  Young  Ladies'  Institute,  which  greatly  prospered 
while  he  had  charge  of  it.  It  was  while  he  was  a 
resident  of  this  city  that  his  youngest  son  died.  He 
was  about  six  and  a  half  years  old  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Here  also  his  youngest  child,  his  only  living 
daughter,  was  born,  in  June,  1851.  His  little  son 
died  in  October  of  the  same  year.  He  had  often,  in 
his  large  city  pastorates,  been  called  upon  to  sym- 
pathize with  bereaved  parents  over  the  loss  of  their 
dear  children  ;  and  he  had  often  "wept  with  those  that 
weep  ;"  but  never  before  could  he  so  fully  enter  into 
the  feelings  of  those  who  mourned  the  loss  of  their 
dear  children,  as  he  could  when  one  of  his  own 
had  been  borne  away  to  the  tomb.  The  sym- 
pathy of  experience  seems  necessary  to  enable  us 
to  be  the  successful  comforters  of  those  who  mourn 
the  loss  of  their  loved  ones  by  death. 

He  was  away  from  home  when  his  dear  child  died, 
on  his  way  to  the  annual  meeting  of  the  General  As- 
sociation of  the  State  of  Illinois.  His  family  physician 
had  given  him  assurance  that  he  might  safely  venture 
to  attend  the  General  Association  ;  and,  as  he  had  im- 
portant duties  assigned  him  in  that  body,  he  reluctant- 
ly concluded  to  go. 

In  the  winter  of  1852,  Elder  T.  received  an  invita- 


122  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

tion  to  supply  the  vacant  pulpit  of  the  E.  Street  Bap- 
tist Church  in  Washington  City  for  six  months.  He 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  his  labors  there  were 
greatly  blessed.  Over  sixty  souls  were  added  to  the 
church  by  baptism  and  by  letter.  During  that  sum- 
mer, he  received  the  honorary  degree  of  D.  D.,  from 
Union  College,  located  at  Schenectady,  N.  Y.  The 
distinguished  Dr.  E.  Nott  was  still  President  of  the 
College  ;  and  the  Institution  was  in  the  highest  degree 
of  prosperity.  It  was  indeed  an  honor  to  receive  a 
degree  from  that  excellent  Institution.  He  apprecia- 
ted it  all  the  more  because  it  came  from  a  College  not 
under  the  control  of  his  own  denomination. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  engagement  with  E. 
Street  Church,  it  was  thought  that  another  Baptist 
Church  was  required  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the 
denomination  in  the  National  Metropolis.  According- 
ly, a  new  church  was  organized,  and  he  was  earnestly 
requested  to  take  the  pastoral  care  of  it.  And  this  he 
did,  with  the  distinct  understanding  that  an  effort 
should  be  made  as  soon  as  practicable,  to  erect  a  more 
commodious  house  of  worship  than  any  then  belonging 
to  the  Baptists  in  that  city.  Such  an  effort  was  soon 
inaugurated,  and  earnest  endeavors  were  entered  upon 
to  effect  the  object.  It  was  well  understood  that  con- 
siderable aid  from  abroad  would  be  indispensable  to 
the  accomplishment  of  this  important  undertaking. 
And  after  obtaining  all  that  could  be  secured  at  home 
for  the  object,  Dr.  T.  made  frequent  excursions  abroad 
in  the  interest  of  the  good  work,  with  varying  results. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  123 

But  it  was  determined  to  persevere  until  the  object 
was  attained. 

While  collecting  money  for  the  erection  of  this 
church  edifice,  Dr.  T.  went  North  and  obtained  many 
contributions  of  manufactured  articles  for  a  Fair, 
which  the  church  had  determined  to  hold  in  the  inter- 
est of  that  enterprise ;  and  the  proceeds  of  the  sale 
of  those  articles,  and  the  income  from  the  Fair  alto- 
gether, aided  essentially  in  the  accomplishment  of  that 
important  undertaking. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  winter  of  1854,  Dr.  T 
went  over  to  Baltimore  to  assist  the  Rev.  Dr.  Richard 
Fuller  in  a  protracted  meeting  for  two  weeks.  The 
meeting  was  seriously  interrupted  by  one  of  the  sever- 
est snow  storms  ever  experienced  in]  March  in  that 
latitude.  Still,  much  good  was  accomplished,  and 
quite  a  number  of  rejoicing  converts  were  baptized 
and  added  to  the  church  as  the  result  of  that  meeting. 

It  was  while  laboring  in  this  meeting  that  the  now 
sainted  Fuller  suggested  to  Dr.  T.  the  importance  of 
going  South  in  the  interest  of  his  church  enterprise  in 
Washington  City  ;  and  he  assured  him  that  if  he  would 
go  South  and  preach  Christ  to  the  people  there  as  he 
was  doing  in  Baltimore  at  that  time,  they  woujd  build 
the  church  for  him.  This  suggestion  of  Dr.  Fuller 
was  followed  out,  and  soon  afterwards,  Dr.  T.  assisted 
Rev.  Dr.  Tiberius  Gracchus  Jones,  in  quite  a  long 
series  of  meetings  in  Norfolk,  which  resulted  in  an  ac- 
cession to  the  Free  Mason  Street  Church,  of  which 
Dr.  Jones  was  then  pastor,  of  one  hundred  precious 


124  KEMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

souls.  Other  churches  also  shared  in  the  blessed  re- 
sults of  that  glorious  meeting.  The  contribution  of 
the  church  and  congregation  for  the  erection  of  the 

C3  f 

church  in  Washington,  at  the  close  of  the  meeting,  was 
very  liberal,  and  Dr.  T.  was  very  much  encouraged 
by  the  success  attending  his  first  effort,  under  the  ad- 
vice of  Dr.  Fuller ;  and  he  determined  to  go  on  with 
that  kind  of  work. 

While  he  was  assisting  Dr.  Jones  in  the  meeting  in 
his  church,  he  went  one  Sunday  morning,  to  the  Cum- 
berland Street  Baptist  Church,  in  that  city,  and 
preached  a  single  sermon,  and  took  up  a  collection  for 
his  church  enterprise  in  Washington.  While  he  was 
making  a  statement  of  thjp  necessity  of  a  good  house 
of  worship  for  our  denomination  in  the  Capitol  of  the 
nation,  and  one  more  commodious  and  more  attractive 
than  any  then  existing  there,  he  observed  an  old  lady 
in  the  congregation,  who  seemed  to  be  very  deeply  in- 
terested in  the  object,  and  she  wept  under  the  state- 
ment which -was  made.  She  was  very  poor.  She 
wished  that  she  had  something  to  give  towards  the 
erection  of  that  building ;  but  she  had  no  money  to 
give — not  even  a  dime.  "Well,"  she  thought,  "lean 
pray  for  the  success  of  the  enterprise  if  I  can  do 
nothing  more ;  and  that  I  will  certainly  do."  But 
that  did  not  seem  to  satisfy  her,  and  she  said  to  her- 
self,-"! must  have  a  brick  or  two  in  that  church 
house."  But  how  slie  could  get  the  money  for 
that  purpose  she  could  not  at  first  divine.  At  length, 
she  remembered  that  she  had  a  little  chicken  in  her 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  125 

yard  at  home,  and  she  determined  to  take  it  to  market 
the  next  morning  and  soil  it,  and  send  Dr.  T  half 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  for  his  church  enterprise.  She 
did  so  ;  and  she  sent  him  an  old  New  York  shilling — 
the  eighth  of  a  dollar,  as  half  the  proceeds  of  the  sale 
of  the  chicken.  Some  may  be  ready  to  ask,  "Did 
Dr.  T.  take  the  poor  woman's  money?"  He  could 
not  refuse  it.  He  would  not  have  wounded  the  feel- 
ings of  that  pious  old  sister,  by  returning  the  money, 
for  a  hundred  times  the  amount  of  her  donation.  He 
remembered  what  the  Savior  said  about  the  contribu- 
tion of  the  poor  widow  in  the  Temple.  She  cast  into 
the  treasury  two  mites  which  make  a  farthing.  Jesus 
said,  "This  poor  widow  hath  cast  in  more  than  they 
all.  For  all  these  have  of  their  abundance  [surplus 
it  may  be  rendered]  cast  in  unto  the  offerings  of  God : 
but  she  of  her  penury  hath  cast  in  all  the  living  that 
she  had."  Dr.  T.  took  the  piece  of  money,  and 
replaced  it  by  a  like  sum  ;  and  he  has  carried  it  in  his 
pocket  ever  since.  You  could  scarcely  induce  him  to 
part  with  it  for  any  reasonable  amount  of  money. 

Well,  let  us  see  how  the  Savior's  words  were  verified 
in  this  case.  "  Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you  ; 
good  measure,  pressed  down,  and  shaken  together,  and 
running  over,  shall  men  give  into  your  bosom."  That 
very  day,  Dr.  T.  called  on  a  family  grocer,  who  had 
married  a  Washington  lady ;  and  in  the  course  of  the 
conversation  with  him,  he  related  the  story  of  the  poor 
woman's  donation  to  his  church  enterprise.  The  gro- 
cer's heart  was  touched  ;  and  he  said  with  deep  feeling, 


126  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

"I  will  send  that  poor  woman  five  dollars'  worth  of 
groceries  at  once."  How  much  more  she  received  for 
that  donation  which  she  made  to  the  Washington 
church,  Dr.  T.  never  knew.  But  he  took  care  to  let 
it  be  extensively  known  in  Norfolk,  that  the  contribu- 
tion had  been  made  under  the  peculiar  circumstances 
of  the  case,  and  that  it  had  been  received,  and  applied 
to  the  object  for  which  it  was  given.  How  true  it  is  : 
"There  is  that  scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth;  and 
there  is  that  withholdeth  more  than  is  meet,  but  it 
tendeth  to  poverty." 

While  conducting  the  meeting  in  Norfolk,  Dr.  T. 
received  a  pressing  invitation  from  the  pastor  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  in  Charleston  to  assist  them  in  a 
series  of  meetings  in  that  old  church.  The  pastor, 
Rev.  Dr.  Kendrick,  was  careful  to  state  in  his  letter  of 
invitation,  that  Dr.  T.  must  not  expect  a  large  dona- 
tion from  his  church  to  his  enterprise  in  Washington, 
as  they  were  heavily  pledged  to  aid  the  Furman 
University,  and  to  assist  in  the  building  of  a  church 
edifice  in  Columbia,  etc.,  etc.  Dr.  T.  told  him  not  to 
trouble  himself  at  all  about  that;  that  he  would  be 
satisfied  with  whatever  they  chose  to  give  him  when  he 
closed  his  labors  among  them. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1854,  Dr.  T.  arrived  in  Charles- 
ton, from  Norfolk,  and  immediately  entered  upon  his 
labors  in  the  meeting.  It  was,  indeed,  a  great  meet- 
uug;  and  it  added  largely  to  the  pecuniary  ability,  as 
well  as  to  the  social  and  religious  influence  of  the 
church.  It  was  estimated  that  during  that  revival,  the 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  127 

aggregate  of  wealth  in  the  possession  of  the  converts 
was  not  less  than  half  a  million  of  dollars — by  some  it 
was  estimated  to  be  at  least  $600,000. 

When  Dr.  T.  had  been  there  two  and  a  half  weeks, 
he  informed  the  pastor  that  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to 
close  his  labors  there  on  the  following  Wednesday 
night,  which  would  make  three  weeks'  work  among 
them.  He  would  then  have  been  eight  weeks  absent 
from  his  family  and  church — five  weeks  in  Norfolk, 
and  three  weeks  in  Charleston — and  he  felt  that  he 
must  return  to  them  without  longer  delay. 

Nothing  had  been  said,  at  any  time  during  the  meet- 
ing, about  the  contribution  to  the  Washington  church, 
either  by  the  pastor,  or  by  Dr.  T. ;  but  at  the  close  of 
the  public  service  on  that  Sunday  morning,  the  pastor 
stated  that  Dr.  T.  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  close  his 
labors  among  them  on  the  next  Wednesday  night ;  and 
then,  in  very  few  words,  spoke  of  the  enterprise  in 
Washington,  and  said  to  his  people,  that  he  wanted  to 
raise,  that  morning,  for  this  object,  $500.  That  was 
the  first  intimation  given  to  Dr.  T.  that  the  pastor 
thought  more  than  the  $100  which  he  had  pledged 
could  be  raised  for  his  object.  The  method  of  taking 
up  such  collections,  in  that  good  old  church,  was  to 
have  cards  distributed  in  all  the  pews,  and  let  every 
person  subscribe  such  amount  as  he  might  choose  to 
contribute.  The  Deacons  also  stood  in  the  vestibule, 
after  the  dismission  of  the  congregation,  with  hats  in 
hand  to  receive  such  amounts  as  persons  from  the  gal- 
leries might  be  disposed  tojgive.  Then*the  cards  were 


128  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

collected  and  deposited  with  the  Treasurer  of  the 
church,  whose  business  house  was  in  a  central  part  of 
the  city  ;  and  the  subscribers  were  expected  to  call  at 
his  store  the  next  day  and  take  up  their  cards.  While 
the  pastor  and  Dr.  T.  were  at  dinner,  that  day,  a  well- 
known  sister  of  the  church  sent  around  to  tlie  pastor 
to  inquire  if  the  $500  had  been  raised  that  morning. 
The  pastor  looked  over  to  Dr.  T.  and  smiled,  saying, 
"There  are  your  $500,  sir."  It  was  understoo'd,  of 
course,  that  this  benevolent  lady  only  wished'to  know 
to  what  amount  she  should  make  her  check  on  the 
bank,  in  order  to  insure  the  full  amount  of  $500  to 
the  object. 

The  church  held  their  communion  services  that  after- 
noon ;  and  after  the  close  of  those  services,  a  special 
meeting  of  the  church  was  called,  and  a  committee, 
consisting  of  three  of  the  prominent  Deacons,  was 
appointed  to  wait  on  Dr.  T.  and  prevail  upon  him,  if 
possible,  to  remain  at  least  a  week  longer  than  had 
been  proposed.  Accordingly,  the  committee  came  to 
see  him  at  the  house  of  the  pastor,  and  made  known 
to  him  the  object  of  their  mission.  Dr.  T.  pleaded 
hard  to  be  let  off  on  the  following  Thursday  morning; 
but  still  tho  committee  insisted,  that  as  the  meeting 
was  doing  so  much  good,  and  reaching  a  class  of  per- 
sons which  all  previous  efforts  had  failed  to  effect,  he 
ought  to  1)0  willing  to  make  the  sacrifice,  and  fill  up  at 
least  the  full  four  weeks  amongst  them.  And  they 
further  assured  him  that  it  would  be  no  disadvantage 
to  his  church  enterprise  if  he  should  remain.  He  fi- 


OF  A  LOXO  LIFE.  129 

nally  yielded  to  their  wishes,  and  finished  up  the  full 
four  weeks  of  earnest  labors  in  their  midst.  At  the 
close  of  his  work  in  Charleston,  the  brethren  put  into 
his  hands,  for  his  church  enterprise,  without  a  word  of 
solicitation  on  his  part,  one  thousand  dollars;  and  meet- 
ing a  good  brother  on  the  street,  Deacon  Budd — an 
old  sea  captain — he  said  to  Dr.  T.,  "I  have  made  my 
contribution,  with  the  other  brethren,  for  your  church 
in  Washington,  but  I  want  to  make  a  small  contribu- 
tion to  your  family,  if  you  will  bear  it  to  them  ;"  and 
he  took  out  his  pocket-book  and  handed  him  a  hundred 
dollars  for  his  family — all  that  the  pastor  dare  pledge 
before  the  meeting,  for  "the  church  enterprise.  And 
in  addition  to  this,  the  ladies  made  him  a  present  of  a 
beautiful  dressing  case,  with  Russia  Morocco  cover, 
and  containing  the  most  complete  toilet  set  imaginable. 
This  remembrancer  has  been  cherished  with  gre-.it  in- 
terest by  Dr.  T.,  and  it  will  be  transmitted  to  his 
posterity  as  an  heirloom  in  the  family.  It  is  really  a 
marvel  of  beauty  and  convenience. 

Having  finished  his  work  in  Charleston,  Dr.  T.  re- 
turned at  once  to  Washington.  He  found  his  family 
well,  and  his  church  in  a  prosperous  state.  During 
his  absence  of  a  little  more  than  two  months,  he  had 
held  t\vo  protracted  meetings,  in  which  some  two  hun- 
dred souls  had  been  converted,  and  about  $1500  had 
been  obtained  to  aid  his  church  enterprise.  Thus  it 
was  shown,  that  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Fuller  was  in- 
deed a  wise  one;  and  Dr.  T.  continued  to  hold  pro- 
tracted meetings  in  various  parts  of  the  South,  and  to 


130  REMINISCENCES  AND    INCIDENTS 

collect  money  for  his  church  enterprise  in  Washington, 
until  the  summer  of  1858. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  131 


CHAPTER  VII. 


During  the  winter  of  1855,  Dr.  T.  went  down  to 
Hertford,  N.  C.,  to  assist  Rev.  Geo.  Bradford,  then 
pastor  of  that  church,  in  a  series  of  meetings.  His 
efforts  were  very  greatly  blessed  there  in  the  awaken- 
ing and  conversion  of  souls.  By  the  exertions  of  two 
excellent  brethren  connected  with  that  church,  an  ele- 
gant and  commodious  meeting  house  had  recently  been 
erected,  at  a  cost  of  some  $14,000.  These  brethren 
had  raised  probably  about  $2,000  for  the  object  by 
the  contribution  of  other  members  of  the  church  and 
the  community  at  large  ;  and  the  balance  they  divided 
between  themselves,  and  paid  it  out  of  their  own 
pockets.  These  same  brethren,  viz  :  Charles  W.  Skin- 
ner, and  Richard  Felton,  gave  Dr.  T.  $350.00  a  piece  to 
purchase  a  bell  for  his  church  in  Washington.  This 
liberal  donation,  together  with  a  donation  of  the 
foundry  men  of  $100.00,  enabled  Dr.  T.  to  place,  in 
the  steeple  of  his  church,  a  bell  of  the  very  best  ma- 
terial, weighing  about  2,200  pounds.  It  was  decidedly 
the  best  bell  in  Washington  at  that  time.  The  differ- 
ence between  that  bell  and  others  in  the  city,  could 
then  be  distinguished  for  many  miles  around  the  city. 
Dr.  T.  bad  the  names  of  the  liberal  donors  cast  in 


132  KEMIXTSCFATCES  AXD  INCIDENTS 

raised  letters  on  the  bell,  together  with  their  place  of 
residence.  Some  years  after  the  erection  of  this 
church  edifice,  a  terrible  hurricane  passed  over  Wash- 
ington, and  blew  down  the  beautiful  steeple  of  the 
church,  which  crushed  in  the  roof  of  the  building,  and 
damaged  the  edifice  considerably,  as  it  did  also  some 
buildings  adjacent  to  the  church.  It  cost  about  $6000 
to  make  the  necessary  repairs  on  the  church  edifice, 
without  re-erecting  the  steeple.  In  the  place  of  the 
elegant  steeple,  which  the  storm  had  blown  down,  an 
unsightly  cupola  was  put  upon  the  building.  Dr.  T. 
always  feels,  when  he  sees  it,  as  if  he  would  like  to 
kick  it  into  the  Potomac  river j  if  lie  could.  There  is 
no  excuse  for  putting  this  ungainly  thing  on  such  a 
church  building.  Fortunately  the  bell  was  uninjured 
by  the  hurricane,  and  it  still  remains  intact. 

The  second  meeting  which  Dr.  T.  held  in  South 
Carolina,  was  with  the  church  at  Edgefield  Court 
House,  in  April,  1855.  He  had  been  invited  to  visit 
that  church  some  time  before  :  but  he  found  it  difficult 
to  fix  on  a  time,  in  the  near  future,  when  he  would  be 
able  to  comply  with  the  earnest  request  of  the  people 
of  that  community.  But  finding  himself  in  Augusta, 
Ga.,  with  no  objective  point  immediately  in  view,  he 
concluded  to  take  the  stage,  and  go  at  once  to  Edge- 
field  Village.  He  arrived  there  in  the  afternoon  of 
the  3rd.  of  April,  1855,  and  efforts  were  immediately 
made  to  circulate  the  news  of  his  unexpected  arrival, 
and  that  he  would  preach  that  night  in  the  Baptist 
Church.  Only  about  twenty-five  persons  were  in  at- 


OF  A  LOXG  LIFE.  133 

tendance  that  night  on  the  services.  The  next  night 
the  number  was  more  than  doubled.  Then  Dr.  T.  told 
the  pastor  that  they  must  have  meetings  in  the  day 
time,  as  well  as  at  night.  The  pastor  replied,  "The 
people  here  have  not  been  accustomed  to  day  meetings, 
during  week  days  ;  and  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  you 
can  get  them  out  to  a  day  meeting  except  on  Sunday." 
Dr.  T.  said  to  him  that  he  could  not  spend  time  enough 
there  to  do  much  good  if  no  day  meetings  could  be 
held,  and  that  he  would  preach  his  best  sermons  in  the 
morning  meetings,  if  only  a  dozen  hearers  were  in  at- 
tendance. The  pastor  then  said  to  him,  "Well,  sir,  go 
ahead,  if  you  are  willing  to  assume  the  responsibility 
of  getting  the  people  out  to  a  morning  meeting,  I 
shall  not  object."  Accordingly  on  the  second  night  of 
the  meeting  it  was  announced  that  there  would  be 
preaching  in  that  house  at  10  o'clock  the  next  morn- 
ing. Contrary  to  the  fears  of  the  pastor,  there  were 
more  people  in  attendance  on  the  first  morning  meet- 
ing, than  were  present  at  the  second  night  meeting. 
From  that  time,  the  interest  in  the  meeting  grew  rapid- 
ly, and  the  meeting-house  was  soon  filled  to  overflowing 
with  anxious  listeners.  Dr.  T.  remained  there  six- 
teen days,  during  which  time  seventy-two  joyful  con- 
verts were  baptized  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  The  meeting  was  carried  on  for  some  time 
after  Dr.  T.  left,  and  over  a  hundred  altogether  were 
added  to  the  church  as  the  result  of  that  excellent 
meeting. 

A  few  incidents  occurred  during  this  meeting  which 


134  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

are  deemed  worthy  of  notice.  One  Monday  morning, 
after  having  heard  a  searching  discourse  on  Sunday 
night  on  the  impossibility  of  neutrality  in  the  matter 
of  religion,  a  gentleman,  of  very  fair  standing  in  the 
community,  came  to  the  quarters  of  Dr.  T.,and  told 
him  that  he  had  been  cherishing  a  secret  hope  in  Christ 
for  some  time,  but  had  not  made  a  public  confession 
of  religion.  And  he  then  said  that  he  wanted  to  be 
baptized  that  day.  Dr.  T.  told  him  there  would  prob- 
ably be  several  ready  for  baptism  in  a  day  or  two,  as 
a  considerable  number  had  come  forward  for  prayer 
the  night  before,  and  he  could  then  be  baptized  with 
the  other^  who  might  be  accepted  for  the  ordinance. 
But  he  insisted  that  he  must  be  baptized  that  very  day 
— that  he  could  delay  the  duty  no  longer.  According- 
ly, arrangements  were  made,  and  he  was  baptized  that 
day.  When  Dr.  T.  suggested  that  he  should  wait  a  day 
or  two  for  others,  it  was  merely  to  test  his  earnestness 
in  the  matter;  and  he  was  glad  to  find  that  the  appli- 
cant was  made  to  feel  that  he  could  not  delay  the  duty 
another  day. 

Another  incident  of  interest  occurred  in  this  meet- 
ing. An  excellent  old  sister  in  the  church,  whom 
every  body  called  Mother  Mims,  regretted  when  she 
heard  that  Dr.  T.  hud  arrived,  and  had  commenced 
his  meetings  at  night,  that  she  would  not  be  able  to 
hear  his  sermons,  except  on  the  Sundays,  as  she  could 
not  go  out  at  night  to  meeting.  She  considered  her- 
self too  old  and  too  infirm  to  go  to  church  except  on 
Sunday  mornings,  when  the  weather  was  pleasant,  and 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  135 

every  thing  favor  able.  She  had  an  easy  chair,  provi- 
ded for  her  special  accommodation,  near  the  pulpit ; 
and  when  she  rode  up  to  the  church  door  in  her  com- 
fortable carriage,  one  or  two  of  her  sons  would  aid 
her  in  getting  out  of  the  carnage,  and  would  then  con- 
duct her  to  her  easy  chair  in  the  church.  She  was 
greatly  delighted  when  she  heard  that  Dr.  T.  had  de- 
termined to  hold  the  meetings  both  day  and  night ;  for 
then  she  thought  she  would  be  able  to  hear  most  of 
his  morning  sermons.  Accordingly,  when  the  bell 
rang  for  the  morning  meeting,  old  Sister  Minis  was 
among  the  first  to  ride  up  to  the  church  door,  and  go 
into  the  meeting-house.  At  the  close  of  that 
morning's  sermon,  an  invitation  was  extended  to  such 
as  desired  to  present  special  objects  of  prayer,  to  do 
so  at  that  time.  Mother  Minis  was  the  first  to  leave 
her  seat  and  advance  to  grasp  Dr.  T.'s  hand  as  he 
descended  from  the  pulpit;  and  in  her  tears  she  said, 
"I  have  great  reason  to  be  devoutly  thankful  that  God 
has  given  me  all  my  children  in  the  Lord.  They  are 
all  members  of  the  church  ;  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  are 
honoring  their  profession  by  a  godly  walk  and  a  holy 
conversation.  But  I  have  a  number  of  grand-children 
now  coming  on  the  stage  of  life,  for  whom  I  desire  an 
interest  in  your  fervent  prayers."  These  grand-chil- 
dren were  made  immediately  the  objects  of  special 
prayer  ;  and  several  of  them  were  among  the  first  to 
come  forward  for  prayer  and  instruction  in  the  meet- 
ing. Suffice  it  to  say,  that  every  one  of  the  dear 
grand-children  of  that  devoted  mother  in  Israel,  who 


136,  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

were  accountable  moral  agents,  were  converted  during 
that  meeting.  And  what  adds  greatly  to  the  interest 
of  this  matter,  is  the  fact,  that  soon  after  the  meet- 
ing had  closed,  the  eldest  of  the  grand-sons,  a  swn  of 
Dr.  Richard  Mims,  and  a  most  charming  young  man, 
was  taken  sick,  and  died.  His  death  was  a  most 
triumphant  Christian  death.  He  summoned  the  young 
men,  his  former  associates,  to  his  bedside,  and  said  to 
them:  "I  am  now  about  to  die;  but  how  could  I 
have  died,  as  I  now  do,  a  happy,  triumphant  death,  if 
I  had  not  sought  and  found  Christ  precious  to  my 
soul,  in  the  lute  protracted  meeting.  Now,  death  has 
no  fears  for  me;  and  I  hope  soon  to  be  with  my  Lord 
in  paradise.  Oh!  my  dear,  young  friends,  let  me  ex- 
hort you,  on  my  dying  bed,  to  make  your  peace  with 
God  without  delay  !  What  would  you  do  if  you  were 
now  on  your  dying  bed,  as  I  am,  without  a  proper 
preparation  to  meet  God?  Come  to  Jesus  at  once,  and 
lay  hold  on  eternal  life !  A,\\d  then,  whether  you  live 
long,  or  die  soon,  you  Avill  be  prepared  to  give  up 
your  account  to  the  Judge  of  the  quick  and  the  dead, 
with  joy  and  not  with  grief." 

Mother  Mims,  after  attending  the  first  morning  meet- 
ing, became  so  much  interested  that  she  came  again 
that  night.  As  the  meeting  advanced  in  interest,  it  be- 
came necessary,  very  soon,  to  have  a  prayer  and  inquiry 
meeting  in  the  afternoon.  And,  in  addition  to  the 
morning  and  night  services,  Mother  Minis  attended  the 
afternoon  meetings  regularly.  Then,  soon  afterwards, 
baptism  was  performed  almost  every  day,  after  the 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  137 

afternoon  meetings,  and  Mother  Mims  attended  the 
baptisms  also.  And  finally  the  interest  became  so  gen- 
eral, and  had  gotten  so  thoroughly  into  the  Female 
College  in  the  place,  that  it  was  deemed  important  to 
hold  service's  in  the  College  Chapel  every  morning  at  8 
o'clock.  Dr.  T.  wondered  if  Mother  Mims  would  at- 
tend that  early  morning  service  ;  and  sitting  on  the 
back  porch  of  the  mansion  in  which  he  was  stopping, 
which  commanded  a  full  view  of  the  College  building, 
the  first  carriage  which  he  saw  driving  up  to  the  Col- 
lege was  that  of  Mother  Mims.  At  length  Dr.  T.  said 
to  her,  "  Why,  Mother  Minis,  how  is  this?  When  I 
came  here  and  began  these  meetings,  you  thought  you 
could  get  out  to  church  only  on  a  very  fair  morning. 
Now,  I  find  you  attending  regularly  five  meetings  a 
day.  How  is  this?"  "Oh,"  said  she,  "Brother  Teas- 
dale,  I  am  a  great  deal  better  than  I  was  before  this 
series  of  meetings  began."  And  so  it  is  :  "  Godliness 
is  profitable  unto  all  things,  having  promise  of  the  life 
that  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come."  The  last 
words  of  this  good  old  sister,  just  before  she  breathed 
her  last,  were  :  "  Oh,  how  happy  !  how  happy  !  " 

There  is  yet  one  more  incident  connected  with  this 
grand  meeting  which  is  worthy  of  note.  The  interest 
in  the  meeting  soon  became  so  deep  and  so  general  that 
the  merchants,  of  their  own  accord,  closed  their  stores 
at  the  hour  for  the  morning  meetings,  and  went  them- 
selves and  allowed  their  clerks  to  go  to  the  meetings. 
When  the  people  came  in  from  the  country  and  found 
the  stores  closed,  they  did  not  know  what  to  make  of 


138  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

it.  They  found,  however,  little  notices  stuck  up  on 
the  store  doors,  of  this  import :  "  Gone  to  the  Baptist 
Church.  Will  be  back  at  half-past  11  o'clock."  This 
excited  the  curiosity  of  the  country  people  ;  and  they 
also  came  to  the  meetings.  In  this  way  the  influence 
of  the  blessed  work  was  carried  far  out  into  the  coun- 
try ;  and  some  people  came  twenty  miles  to  the  meet- 
ings, and  brought  their  unconverted  children  with  them, 
that  they  might  be  converted  in  the  meetings.  Quite 
a  number  of  that  class  were  savingly  profited  by  these 
exercises,  and  united  with  the  churches  in  their  vicinity. 

Before  Dr.  T.  left  Edgefield,  over  eleven  hundred 
dollars  had  been  pledged  towards  the  erection  of  the 
church  in  Washington,  payable  when  the  cotton  crop 
came  in;  and  it  was  paid  promptly  according  to 
promise. 

Dr.  T.  made  his  home,  while  at  Edgefield,  with  Eev. 
Charles  A.  Raymond,  President  of  the  Female  College. 
He  had  baptized  Prof.  Raymond,  in  New  Haven,  Ct., 
in  the  spring  of  1841.  An  incident  in  connection  with 
his  baptism  may  be  noted.  He  was  a  very  promising 
young  artist  at  the  time,  and  belonged  to  the  First 
Congregationalist  Church  in  that  city,  of  which  the 
distinguished  Rev.  Leonard  Bacon,  D.  D.,  was  pastor. 
On  the  morning  of  the  baptism,  Dr.  T.  received  a  note 
from  Dr.  Bacon  to  this  import : 
"  REV.  MR.  TEASDALE  : 

Dear  Sir:  I  understand  that  you  expect  to  baptize 
Charles  A.  Raymond  to-day.  If  you  baptize  him  with- 
out his  receiving  a  formal  dismission  from  my  church, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  139 

the  relation  hitherto  subsisting   between  us,   will   be 
materially  changed. 

Yours  respectfully, 

L.  BACON." 

Dr.  T.  returned  to  Dr.  Bacon  the  following  reply : 
"REV.  Dn.  BACON: 

Dear  Sir:  I  expect  to  baptize  Charles  A.  Raymond 
to-day  ;  but  he  will  not  receive  the  hand  of  church 
fellowship  until  after  he  has  had  time  to  receive  from 
your  church  a  formal  certificate  of  his  good  standing 
in  that  body. 

Yours  very  respectfully, 

THOS.  C.  TEASDALE." 

Mr.  Raymond  was  baptized  that  day  ;  and  the  good 
feeling  existing  between  Dr.  T.  and  Dr.  Bacon,  was 
not  "materially  changed."  They  were  as  good  friends 
afterwards  as  before.  . 

Prof.  Raymond  baptized  his  wife's  sister  and  one 
of  his  teachers  during  the  meeting  at  Edgefield.  All 
the  others  were  baptized  by  Dr.  T. — the  pastor,  Rev. 
Mr.  Whatley,  begging  him  to  do  the  baptizing,  as  well 
as  the  preaching.  A  rather  singular  coincidence  oc- 
curred on  one  of  the  baptismal  occasions.  Without 
any  previous  design,  Dr.  T.  baptized  one  day,  four 
persons,  named  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and  John. 
The  circumstance  attracted  some  attention  at  the  time, 
and  it  is  remembered  with  interest  by  some  to  this  day. 

The  weather  during  this  meeting  was  vcrv  hot.     Al- 

O  O  v 

though   it   was  held  in  the  month  of   April,  the    ther- 
mometer ranged  from  ninety  to  one  hundred    degrees, 


140  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

most  of  the  time  during  the  meeting.  The  heat  was 
very  oppressive,  and  the  more  so  because  it  was  so  un- 
seasonable. Dr.  T.  had  never  experienced  so  hot  a 
spell  in  April  before  ;  and  it  was  as  unusual  to  the  peo- 
ple of  that  section  as  it  was  to  him. 

From  Edgefield,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Aiken,  S.  C.,  to 
assist  their  then  youthful  pastor,  Rev.  A.  T.  Spalding, 
in  a  series  of  meetings  in  that  place.  The  meeting 
there  was  also  eminently  successful.  It  resulted  in  an 
accession  to  the  church  of  some  eighty'  happy  con- 
verts. Among  the  accessions  to  the  church  in  this 
place,  was  the  intelligent  daughter  of  a  deceased 
Presbyterian  minister,  Mrs.  Turner,  together  with  her 
little  daughter,  some  twelve  years  of  age.  Her  hus- 
band was  Captain  of  one  of  the  steamers  plying  be- 
tween Charleston  and  New  York  ;  and  her  accession  to 
the  church  was  huiled  with  peculiar  pleasure. 

From  Aiken  Dr.  T.  went  to  Montgomery,  Ala.,  to 
attend  the  bi-ennial  meeting  of  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention,  which  held  its  session  that  year  in  that 
city.  On  his  way  to  Montgomery,  he  stopped  at 

Penfield,    Ga.,    then   the  seat  of   Mercer   University. 
% 

He  spent  the  Lord's  day  at  Penfield,  and  preached  one 
sermon  there.  He  was  cordially  received  by  Drs. 
Crawford  and  Moll,  and  the  other  professors  of  the 
University,  as  well  as  by  the  people  of  the  place 
generally.  His  brief  stay  at  Penfield  was  made  very 
pleasant  to  him  in  every  regard.  He  left  there  in 
good  time  to  reach  Montgomery  before  the  meeting  of 
the  Convention ;  and  had  his  quarters  assigned  in 


OF  A  LOXf*  LIFE.  141 

Montgomery  with  Rev.  Dr.  Lipscomb,  who  was  subse- 
quently, for  a  number  of  years,  Chancellor  of  the 
State  University  of  Georgia.  His  sojourn  in  the 
family  of  Dr.  Lipscomb  was  remarkably  pleasant. 
Nothing  was  left  undone  that  could  add  to  his  comfort, 
and  make  his  abode  in  the  familv  agreeable. 

*-  C? 

Dr.  T.  was  appointed  to  preach  in  the  Methodist 
church  on  Sunday  morning,  during  the  session  of  the 
Convention ;  and  he  had  a  very  large  and  appreciative 
audience.  In  his  congregation  that  morning  were  two 
of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State ;  and 
the  other  Judge  told  him  on  Monday,  that  he  was  anxious 
to  hear  him  and  had  intended  to  be  present :  but  tha,t 
a  particular  personal  friend  of  his  had  been  appointed 
to  preach  in  the  Baptist  church  that  morning,  and  he 
feared  that  his  absence  from  that  congregation  would 
be  construed  into  a  slight  by  that  friend.  The  effect 
of  the  sermon  on  that  occasiqp  was  sufficiently  indicar 
ted  by  the  deep  emotion  evinced  throughout  the  con- 
gregation. At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  the  pastor  in 
charge,  said  to  Dr.  T.,  "Oh,  why  did  you  not  call  the 
mourners  forward  for  prayers?  I  am  sure  there 
would  have  been  many  to  come  forward."  And  after 
the  dismission,  and  when  he  had  come  down  from  the 
pulpit,  the  number  of  the  messengers  of  the  Conven- 
tion said  to  him,  amonj?  whom  was  the  venerable  Dr. 

o 

Hillyyer,  "Why  did  you  not  call  forward  the  mourn- 
ers? Many  would  no  doubt  have  come  forward  at 
once."  Sixteen  years  afterwards,  Deacon  Redd,  of  the 
Baptist  Church  in  Columbus,  Ga.,  said  to  Dr.  T.,  "I 


142  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

want  you  to  preach,  Awhile  you  are  with  us,  from  the 
text  you  used  at  the  meeting  of  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention,  at  Montgomery,  in  1855,  in  the  Metho- 
dist church,  on  Sunday  morning."  Dr.  T.  said  to 
him,  "Brother  Redd,  what  do  you  remember  about  a 
sermon  delivered  sixteen  years  ago?"  The  Deacon 
replied,  "I  remember  much  of  it.  It  made  so  deep 
an  impression  on  my  mind  at  the  time,  that  I  have 
never  forgotten  if."  Dr.  T.,  at  the  request  of  the 
good  deacon,  repeated  the  sermon,  during  the  series 
of  meetings  in  which  he  was  then  engaged,  with  the 
esteemed  pastor  of  the  church,  Rev.  Dr.  T.  E.  Skin- 
ner ;  and  brother  Redd  said,  it  was  all  as  fresh  in  his 
memory  as  if  ho  had  heard  it  but  the  day  before. 

From  the  Convention  he  returned  to  Washington 
City,  and  spent  a  short  time  with  his  church  and  his 
family ;  and  then  went  on  to  his  native  county,  in 
New  Jersey  to  visit  his  aged  mother,  and  other  dear 
relatives  and  friends.  It  was  also  agreed  between  his 
brother  John  of  Saint  Louis,  and  himself  that  they 
would  meet  at  that  time  in  New  Jersey,  and  spend  a 
few  days  together  in  visiting  their  friends  and  attend 
meeting  one  Sunday  in  the  house  of  worship  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Wantage — the  church  with 
which  they  had  united  tw"enty-nine  years  before  that 
time.  The  old  moss-covered  'church  had  given  place 
to  a  new  and  more  commodious  structure  ;  and  vast 
changes  had  taken  place  among  the  people  of  the 
church  and  community.  Many  of  those  who  were 
prominent  members  of  the  church  when  they  united 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  143 

with  it,  had  gone  to  their  rest  and  their  reward.  A 
few  only  of  those  who  were  prominent  in  the  church 
when  they  were  baptized  into  its  fellowship,  still  re- 
mained; and  their  snow-white  locks,  indicated  that 
they,  too,  would  soon  exchange  the  field  of  conflict  for 
the  mansions  of  glory — the  battle  of  life,  for  the 
palms  of  victory.  Among  those  who  had  departed, 
was  their  venerated  father,  who  died  in  1847,  and 
whose  remains  were  interred  in  the  burial  ground  ad- 
joining the  church.  They  had  lost  their  [oldest  sister 
some  time  before,  and  the  remains  were  buried  there 
also.  Their  aged  mother  was  still  living ;  and  they 
had  two  sisters  residing  a  few  miles  from  that  conse- 
crated spot.  They  visited  together  the  stream  in  which 
they  were  buried  with  their  Lord  in  baptism,  in  the 
month  of  November,  1826  ;  lingered  for  awhile  beside 
the  graves  of  their  honored  and  revered  father  and 
their  dear  sister ;  and  then  repaired  to  the  meeting- 
house for  divine  worship.  Dr.  T.  preached  in  the 
morning ;  and  then  went  over  to  the  Hamburg  Church 
and  preached  that  afternoon.  His  brother  remained 
and  preached  in  the  afternoon  to  the  old  mother 
church  in  Wantage.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  in 
the  Hamburg  Church,  and  after  visiting  the  grave  of 
his  venerated  grand-father,  who  had  been  so  long  the 
pastor  of  that  church,  Dr.  T.  went  home  with  his 
youngest  sister  and' her  husband,  to  make  them  a  visit 
for  a  few  days.  He  had  there  an  aged  uncle  living  in 
that  vicinity,  together  with  several  cousins,  all  of  whom 
claimed  a  portion  of  his  time  during  his  stay  in  the 


144  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

neighborhood.  Having  completed  his  visit  among  his 
relations  in  that  section,  he  returned  to  Washington, 
to  look  after  the  interests  of  his  family  and  his  church. 
During  their  visit  together  it  was  agreed  between 
his  brother  and  himself,  that  he  would  assist  his  brother 
in  a  series  of  meetings  in  his  church  in  Saint  Louis. 
His  brother  was  then  the  esteemed  pastor  of  the  Third 
Baptist  Church  in  that  city.  It  is  called  the  Third 
Baptist  Church,  although  in  reality  it  is  the  Second 
Church.  The  First  Baptist  Church  of  that  city,  for 
various  reasons,  ran  down  many  years  ago,  and  its 
white  membership  died  out.  The  colored  members  of 
the  church  retained  their  organization ;  and  they  are 
to-day  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  the  cicy  of  Saint 
Louis.  The  Second  Baptist  Church  is  now  the  princi- 
pal church  of  our  denomination  in  that  city.  It  wor- 
shipped for  many  years  in  a  very  commodious  house 
on  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Locust  Streets.  Among 

O 

the  pastors  who  officiated  for  them  for  many  years, 
may  be  named  Rev.  Mr.  Hinton  who  subsequently 
died  of  yellow  fever  in  New  Orleans  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Jeter, 
who  went  from  Richmond,  Va. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Read  ;  Rev. 
Mr.  Anderson,  a  recent  graduate  of  one  of  the  North- 
ern Theological  Seminaries  ;  and  Dr.  Burlingham.  The 
tide  of  emigration  was  so  strongly  westward  in  the 
city,  and  the  value  of  property  became  so  much  en- 
hanced about  the  location  of  the  church  on  the  corner 
of  Sixth  and  Locust  Streets,  that  the  church  concluded 
to  build  a  new  and  elegant  house  of  worship  on  a  very 
eligible  lot  in  another  part  of  the  city.  When  this 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  145 

splendid  edifice  was  nearly  completed,  at  a  cost,  inclu- 
ding the  lot,  of  about  $200,000,  it  took  fire  and 
burned  to  the  ground.  The  removal  from  the  old  loca- 
tion to  the  new  one  was  effected  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Dr.  Burlingham ;  and  the  church  had  wor- 
shipped in  the  excellent  Lecture  room  of  the  new 
building  for  several  years.  Fortunately  for  the  church, 
there  was  a  large  insurance  on  the  building  when  it  was 
burned  ;  and  it  was  immediately  rebuilt,  with  some  im- 
provements on  the  old  plan,  at  an  outlay  to  the  church, 
over  and  above  the  amount  of  the  insurance  money, 
of  only  about  $2,000. 

The  Third  Baptist  Church,  at  the  time  Dr.  T.  went 
on  to  St.  Louis  to  assist  his  brother  in  a  series  of  meet- 
ings, in  September,  1855,  was  worshipping  in  the  Lect- 
ure room,  which  had  recently  been  erected.  Since 
that  time,  a  commodious  church  edifice,  which  it  was 
intended  to  build  in  front  of  the  Lecture  room,  on 
Washington  avenue,  was  erected,  and  the  church  has 
been,  from  the  time  his  brother  took  charge  of  it  until 
the  present  period,  in  a  prosperous  condition ;  and  it 
has  all  the  time  been  an  aggressive  band  of  Christian 
workers.  Recently  this  church  has  built  an  elegant 
and  commodious  meeting-house  on  Grand  Avenue,  and 
the  present  pastor,  Dr.  Greene,  is  doing  a  grand  work 
in  that  part  of  the  city. 

At  the  time  Dr.  T.  held  the  series  of  meetings  with 
his  brother  in  that  church,  the  weather  was  excessively 
hot ;  his  health  was  not  good  ;  and  other  circumstances 
combined  to  make  the  occasion  very  unpropitious. 


146  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Consequently  comparatively  little  was  done  in  the  way 
of  the  conversion  of  sinners.  He  wondered  why  he 
should  be  called  away  from  "Washington  City  to  St. 
Louis  to  accomplish  apparently  so  little  good.  But  it 
was  all  made  plain  to  him  soon  afterwards. 

He  parted  with  his  brother  the  first  of  October,  and 
proceeded  to  Madison  Ga.,  and  held  a  series  of  meet- 
ings there,  which  were  blessed  in  the  conversion  of  a 
number  of  souls,  and  the  quickening  of  the  graces  of 
Christians  generally.  Several  valuable  accessions  were 
made  to  the  church. 

From  Madison,  Ga.,  he  went  to  Darlington,  South 
Carolina,  to  assist  Dr.  Bealer  in  a  series  of  meetings  in 
his  church  at  that  place.  The  meeting  here  resulted 
in  great  good.  Nearly  sixty  souls  were  converted  in 
the  meeting,  over  forty  of  whom  were  added  to  the 
church  by  baptism  ;  and  amongst  the  number  were 
some  of  the  children  of  Rev.  Dr.  J.  O.  B.  Dargan,  one 
of  the  most  esteemed  and  excellent  ministers  in  the 
State.*  Dr.  Bealer's  health  was  very  delicate  at  that 
time,  and  at  his  request  Dr.  T.  did  the  baptizing  on 
the  occasion. 

When  the  meeting  was  closed  at  Darlington,  Dr.  T. 
went  directly  to  Washington.  On  his  arrival  at  home 
he  learned  the  sad  intelligence  of  the  sudden  and  vio- 
lent death  of  his  dear  minister  brother  in  St.  Louis. 
His  brother  had  been  induced,  by  the  earnest  persuasion 
of  some  influential  Baptist  friends  in  St.  Louis,  to  ac- 
company them  on  the  excursion  at  the  opening  of  the 
railroad  from  St.  Louis  to  Jefferson  City.  He  never 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  147 

had  any  idle  curiosity  to  go  on  such  excursion  tripe. 
But  he  was  over-persuaded  this  time  by  those  special 
friends,  and  finally  consented  to  go.  The  crowd  of 
first-class  citizens  invited  to  go  on  that  excursion  was 
very  groat.  Many  cars  were  required  to  accommodate 
the  multitude  who  resorted  to  the  depot  to  join  the  ex- 
cursion. The  long  train  pushed  off  from  the  depot 
with  the  loud  shouts  of  those  who  remained  in  the  city. 
But  alas !  how  little  did  any  body  dream  of  the  sad 
fate  that  was  so  soon  to  befall  that  train,  so  freighted 
with  many  of  the  best  citizens  of  St.  Louis.  At  the 
Gasconade  river,  as  the  train  came  upon  the  newly 
constructed  bridge,  the  bridge  gave  way,  and  precipi- 
tated the  train  down  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  some 
thirty  feet  below.  Dr.  T.'s  brother,  and  about  thirty 
other  prominent  citizens  of  St.  Louis,  were  instantly 
killed,  and  many  others  seriously  wounded.  Dr.  Read, 
pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  was  to  have  taken 
a  seat  by  the  side  of  Mr.  Teasdale  ;  but  he  arrived  a 
little  too  late  to  get  in  that  car,  and  was  compelled  to 
take  a  seat  in  a  car  farther  ahead.  The  gentleman  who 
sat  on  the  seat  with  Mr.  Teasdale  was  instantly  killed, 
and  Dr.  Read  escaped  with  very  slight  injury.  How 
mysterious  are  the  ways  of  Providence !  How  true 
it  is, 

"God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way, 
His  wonders  to  perform; 

He  plants  His  footsteps  in  the  sea, 

And  rides  upon  the  storm." 

Now  Dr.  T.  was  enabled  to  see   why   God   had  led 
him  to    Saint    Louis  to  spend  a  month  with    his   dear 


148  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

brother.  It  was  to  be  their  last  interview  on  earth  ; 
and  they  shook  hands  when  Dr.  T.  took  his  leave  of 
his  brother  on  that  occasion,  to  meet  no  more  till  they 
greet  each  other  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 


OF  A  LONQ  LIFE.  149 


CHAPTER  IX. 


After  spending  a  short  time  with  his  family  and  his 
church  in  Washington,  Dr.  T.  went  over  to  Louisville, 
Ky.,  to  assist  Rev.  Dr.  W.  W.  Everts  in  a  series  of 
meetings  in  the  Walnut  Street  church,  of  that  city, 
of  which  Dr.  Everts  was  then  pastor.  His  feelings 
being  softened  by  the  recent  terrible  death  of  his  dear 
brother,  his  preaching  possessed  a  peculiar  unction. 
The  meeting  soon  became  deeply  interesting,  and  a 
large  number — say  sixty  or  seventy  souls  were  added 
to  the  church  during  that  occasion. 

Some  incidents  of  interest  occurred  during  the  prog- 
ress of  this  protracted  meeting.  The  sisters  of  the 
church  became  so  thoroughly  enlisted  in  the  work,  that 
they  districted  the  whole  city,  and  went  out,  two  by 
two,  all  over  the  city,  distributing  religious  tracts, 
and  conversing  with  the  people  on  the  subject  of  their 
soul's  salvation.  Many  were  brought  to  the  meeting 
through  their  instrumentality,  \vho  were  converted  be- 
fore the  meeting  came  to  a  close.  Two  sisters,  the 
pasior's  wife  and  another  prominent  member  of  the 
church  had  the  district  around  the  church  assigned  to 
them  ;  and  faithfully  did  they  execute  the  trust  con- 
fided to  them.  Sister  Everts  had  a  large  family  on 


150  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

her  hands,  and  yet  she  found  time  to  work  for  the 
blessed  Master,  and  for  the 'good  of  immortal  souls. 
Her  associate  and  herself  went  from  house  to  house, 
from  store  to  store,  from  office  to  office,  and  from 
shop  to  shop  on  their  errand  of  mercy,  and  distributed 
pungent  tracts  and  talked  with  the  people  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  meeting,  and  the  importance  of  attending 
to  the  things  that  belonged  to  their  peace  without 
longer  delay.  In  their  rounds  they  came  to  a  board- 
ing-house kept  by  a  widow  lady ;  and  they  asked  and 
obtained  leave  to  visit  her  boarders  at  their  rooms. 
While  making  these  calls,  they  came  to  the  room  of 
some  play  actors.  They  knocked  at  the  door,  and 
one  of  the  actors,  who  was  sitting  at  his  table,  con- 
ning over  his  piece  for  the  stage  that  night,  and  who 
supposed  it  was  some  theatrical  comrades  calling  on 
them,  said,  without  rising,  "Come  in."  When  the 
ladies  opened  the  door,  he  was  surprised  to  find  two 
elegant  ladies  presenting  themselves;  and  he  im- 
mediately arose  to  ascertain  the  object  of  their  visit. 
Sister  Everts  said  to  him  ;  "We  are  out  to-day,  sir, 
distributing  religious  tracts ;"  and  at  the  same  time 
she  held  out  a  tract,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  receive 
it.  He  immediately  threw  himself  back  on  his  dig- 
nity and  exclaimed  :  "I  am  an  actor,  madam!"  He 
supposed  this  exclamation  would  repel  any  further 
efforts  on  the  part  of  these  ladies.  But  Sifter  Everts 
laid  her  hand  gently  on  his  arm,  and  with  her  sweet 
and  tender  voice,  said  to  him  :  "Well,  sir,  the  soul  of 
an  actor  is  just  as  precious  in  my  sight  as  that  of  any 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  151 

other."  This  tender  appeal  touched  his  heart.  He 
had  never  known  anybody  before  to  evince  so  much 
interest  in  his  spiritual  welfare.  Ha  reached  out  his 
hand  and  took  the  tract.  He  read  the  title  of  the  tract. 
"Be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out;"  and  it  reminded 
him  at  once  of  an  incident  which  had  occurred  a  few 
years  before,  when  he  was  manager  of  a  theatre  in 
Scotland.  He  had  learned  that  there  were  some  rare 
paintings  in  an  old  moss-covered  church  a  few  miles 
out  in  the  country  ;  and  he  conceived  the  idea  that 
possibly  those  paintings  might  be  copied  and  used 
with  effect  in  the  scenery  of  the  stage.  He  according- 
ly took  a  companion  and  went  out  one  Sunday  to  the 
church  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  paintings. 
The  pastor  of  the  church  was  an  old  man  with  furrow- 
ed brow,  and  a  somewhat  tremulous  voice.  His  text 
that  morning  was,  "Be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you 
out."  The  actor  said  it  was  a  solemn  and  impressive 
discourse ;  and  he  remarked  to  his  comrade:  "There 
are  some  intonations  in  this  old  man's  delivery  that 
might  be  imitated  by  actors  to  advantage."  All  in- 
tent on  the  business  of  his  profession,  he  thought  but 
little  more  about  the  sermon.  The  next  day,  he  and 
his  companion  went  back  to  the  old  church  to  copy  the 
paintings  ;  and  having  accomplished  their  work,  they 
stood  conversing  a  few  moments  at  the  front  door  of 
the  church.  Some  repairs  were  being  made  on  the 
tower  of  the  church,  at  the  time;  and  while  they  stood 
there,  a  stone  fell  from  the  tower  and  struck  his  com- 
panion on  his  head,  and  he  fell  dead  at  his  feet.  This 


152  REMINISCENCES   AXD  INCIDENTS 

solemn  providence  affected  him  deeply ;  and  he  re- 
membered with  interest  the  text  of  the  old  minister  the 
day  before:  "Be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out." 
But  in  the  whirl  of  business  and  pleasure,  he  soon 
effaced  all  serious  impressions,  and  had  been  living  in 
carelessness  and  sin  up  to  the  time  when  these  Chris- 
tian ladies  called  at  his  room,  on  that  ever  memorable 
occasion.  The  title  of  the  tract  and  the  interest 
evinced  in  his  spiritual  welfare  by  these  Christian 
ladies,  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind.  The 
ladies  then  conversed  with  him  on  the  subject  of  seek- 
ing his  soul's  salvation;  told  him  of  the  very  interest- 
ing meeting  then  in  progress  in  the  Walnut  Street 
Baptist  Church ;  and  begged  him  to  attend  the  meet- 
ings, and  seek  divine  salvation  without  delay.  He 
told  the  ladies  that  he  was  engaged  every  night,  ex- 
cept Sunday,  in  the  theatre  ;  and  he  could  not  break 
his  engagement  with  the  manager  to  attend  church. 
They  then  urged  him  to  go  to  the  meeting  on  Sun- 
day, and  pressed  the  matter  so  earnestly,  that  he 
finally  told  them  he  would  attend  the  meeting  the  next 
Sunday.  And  he  kept  his  promise.  It  so  happened 
that  he  heard  three  sermons  that  day,  two  by  Dr.  T., 
and  one  by  Dr.  Everts,  the  pastor.  On  that  Sunday 
night,  after  a  large  number  of  persons  hud  come  for- 
ward for  prayers,  and  when  it  was  thought  that  all 
perhaps  had  come  forward,  who  had  gained  the  con- 
sent of  their  minds  to  do  so  on  that  occasion,  and 
when  the  song  was  nearly  completed,  and  special 
prayers  were  about  to  be  offered  for  the  inquirers  who 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  153 

had  come  forward,  a  man  came  walking  up  the  centre 
aisle  of  the  church  to  the  rostrum  in  front  of  the  pul- 
pit on  which  Dr.  T.  was  than  standing,  and  extending 
his  hand  to  him  he  exclaimed  in  his  tears :  "Oh,  sir, 
pray  for  me,  a  poor  sinner,"  and  throwing  himself  on 
his  knees,  with  his  head  bowed  on  the  front  of  the 
rostrum,  he  never  rose  until  the  close  of  that  inquiry 
meeting.  He  was  soon  afterwards  happily  con- 
verted. That  man  was  the  actor,  above  alluded  to. 

The  next  Sunday  night  a  friend  and  comrade  of  his, 
and  also  an  actor,  was  at  the  meeting,  and  heard 
Dr.  T.  preach  from  the  words  in  Jeremiah,  viii;  20, 
"The  harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is  ended  and  we  are 
not  saved."  The  sermon  made 'a  very  deep  impression 
on  his  mind  ;  and  when  the  anxious  were  invited  to 
come  forward  for  prayers,  among  the  last  to  come  was 
this  young  actor.  And  very  much  as  his  companion 
had  done  the  Sunday  night  before,  he  came  up  the 
center  aisle  to  the  rostrum  in  front  of  the  pulpit,  gave 
Dr.  T.  his  hand;  and  begged  him  to  remember  him  in 
his  prayers.  He  then  threw  himself  on  his  knees,  with 
his  head  bowed  on  the  front  of  the  platform,  just  as 
his  comrade  had  done  a  week  before,  and  remained  ill 
that  posture  to  the  close  of  the  services.  He,  too,  was 
soon  afterwards  converted.  It  then  became  necessary 
to  interpose,  and  get  the  manager  of  the  theatre  to 
give  them  an  honorable  discharge  from  their  engage- 
ments. This  was  soon  effected  by  the  influential  mem- 
bers of  the  church  ;  and  the  actors  then  offered  them- 
selves as  candidates  for  baptism  and  subsequent  church 


154  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

membership  ;  and  they  were  received  by  acclamation. 
On  the  next  Sunday  night,  they  stood  on  the  edge  of 
the  baptistry,  in  the  presence  of  an  immense  audi- 
ence, amongst  whom  were  nearly  all  of  the  theatrical 
corps — their  former  associates — habited  and  ready  to 
descend  into  the  watery  grave.  Mr.  Strickland,  the 
elder  of  the  two,  and  he  whom  the  ladies  had  visited 
and  brought  to  the  church,  had  been  requested  by  the 
pastor  and  Dr.  T.  to  give  a  brief  narrative  of  the 
change  that  had  been  wrought  in  him ,  and  his  reasons 
for  abandoning  the  stage.  He  was  cautioned  especially 
to  be  very  careful,  and  avoid  everything  that  would 
look  like  stage  effect ;  but  in  spite  of  his  manifest 
efforts  to  comply  with  the  advice  of  the  pastor  and 
Dr.  T.,  there  were  times,  in  the  relation  of  his  narra- 
tive, when  he  could  not  suppress  his  emotion,  and  the 
white  handkerchiefs  were  brought  into  use  all  over  the 
audience  again  and  again.  They  were  then  buried 
with  Christ  in  baptism  ;  and  almost  immediately  after- 
ward they  felt  it  to  be  their  duty  to  prepare  for  the 
work  of  the  Christian  ministry.  Without  dwelling 
longer  on  the  details  of  their  respective  cases,  suffice 
it  to  say,  that  they  both  entered  upon  the  work  of  the 
Christian  ministry,  and  have  both  been  eminently  suc- 
cessful in  winning  souls  to  Jesus.  The  elder  of  these 
two  men  was  Mr.  Strickland,  who  has  done  a  great 
deal  of  evangelistic  work,  and  the  other  was  Rev.  Geo. 
C.  Lorimer,  D.  D.,  the  popular  pastor,  tit  the  present 
writing  (1887),  of  the  Emanuel  Church  in  Chicago. 
He  went  to  Chicago  first  to  take  charge  of  the  First 


OF  A  LOXG  LIFE.  155 

% 

Baptist  Church  in  that  city,  then  recently  vacated  by 
Rev.  W.  W.  Everts,  D.  D.,  who  was  his  first  pastor, 
and  who  had  baptized  him,  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  the 
autumn  of  1855.  Dr.  Lorimer,  soon  after  his  bap- 
tism, entered  upon  a  course  of  study  preparatory  to 
his  becoming  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  But  such  were 
the  gifts  which  he  soon  evinced,  that  the  churches  clam- 
ored for  his  services  as  pastor ;  and  he  finally  yielded 
to  their  solicitations  and  entered  upon  the  work  of  the 
pastor,  ate.  He  has  been  a  close  student,  and  has 
attained  deserved  distinction  as  an  eloquent  preacher, 
and  a  successful  pastor.  He  has  been  pastor  of  prom- 
inent churches  all  his  public  life.  He  began  at  Har- 
rodsburg,  Ky.  ;  then  went  to  Paducah;  then  lie  went 
to  take  charge  of  the  Walnut  Street  Church  in  Louis- 
ville, at  a  critical  time  in  the  history  of  that  church; 
then  he  went  to  Albany,  N.  Y.  ;  and  then  to  Boston, 
and  last  to  Chicago.  His  labors  in  all  his  pastorates 
have  been  attended  with  enlarged  success.  He  is  not 
only  an  eloquent  preacher,  but  he  is  a  capital  organizer. 
He  contrives  to  put  all  his  members  to  work  in  the 
Lord's  vineyard,  and  they  work  effectively.  Dr.  Lori- 
mer said  that  under  a  sermon  of  Dr.  T.,  in  Louisville, 
in  the  fall  of  1355,  from  the  words,  "The  harvest  is 
past,  the  summer  is  ended,  and  we  are  not  saved,"  he 
was  first  led  to  feel  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  his  need  of  a 
divine  Savior.  From  that  time  he  sought  an  interest 
in  the  peace-speaking  blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  finally  found  , peace  in  believing  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost.  "And  now,"  said  he,  "that  this  man  of 


156  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

God  is  with  us  to-day,  I  want  him  to  administer  to  us 
the  memorials  of  the  Savior's  death."  The  statement 
of  Dr.  Lorimer  excited  deep  interest  in  the  minds  of 
his  people  ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  communion  service, 
many  came  forward,  saying,  "We  want  to  shake  the 
hand  of  the  man  who  was  instrumental  in  the  con- 
version of  our  beloved  pastor."  It  was  an  occasion 
of  mutual  joy — joy  on  the  part  of  Dr.  T.  to  find  his 
son  in  the  gospel  so  endeared  to  his  people,  and  joy 
on  the  part  of  the  people  in  greeting  the  man  who  had 
been  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  their  pastor. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  in  Louisville,  Dr.  T. 
returned  to  Washington  City,  and  made  preparation 
for  the  dedication  of  the  church  edifice,  which  had  cost 
him  so  much  hard  work,  and  so  much  self-denial.  He 
had  been  for  two  years  holding  protracted  meetings  in 
several  of  the  States  of  the  South,  and  collecting  for 
the  erection  of  that  noble  church  edifice.  These  efforts 
called  him  a  great  deal  away  from  home  :  and  some- 
times his  absences  from  his  family  and  his  church  were 
very  protracted.  But  he  persevered  until  the  meet- 
ing-house was  completed,  furnished  and  ready  for 
use.  The  ladies  had  carpeted  the  .audience  room 
throughout ;  and  the  pulpit  platform  was  covered  with 
elegant  Brussels  carpet,  and  the  pulpit  was  supplied 
with  an  excellent  sofa  and  with  beautiful  chairs. 
The  organ,  formerly  used  by  the  late  Dr.  Sharp's 
Church  in  Boston,  hud  been  purchased  and  placed  in 
the  gallery.  Everything  was  now  ready  for  the  dedi- 
cation services,  and  a  day  was  fixed  for  those  services. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  157 

Accordingly  at  the  time.appointed,  in  February  1856, 
Rev.  Dr.  Fuller  of  Baltimore,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Barrows 
of  Richmond,  who  had  been  invited  to  preach  on  the 
occasion,  were  on  hand.  But  to  the  great  disappoint- 
ment of  Dr.  T.  and  his  people,  the  weather  proved  to 
be  most  unpropitious.  A  violent  rain  storm  set  in  on 
Saturday  night,  and  continued  all  day  on  Sunday.  It 
was  especially  desired  that  a  large  congregation  should 
be  gathered  together,  at  the  dedication  services,  as  it 
was  intended  to  make  a  special  effort  on  that  occasion 
to  raise  a  considerable  portion  of  the  existing  indebted- 
ness incurred  in  the  erection  of  the  church  building.  Dr. 
Fuller  suggested  that  the  dedication  services  should 
be  postponed  one  week.;  and  he  agreed  to  come  back  at 
that  time,  and  preach  on  the  occasion,  in  the  hope 
that  the  weather  would  be  more  favorable.  Accord- 
ingly the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Fuller  was  adopted,  and 
the  dedication  services  were  postponed  until-  the  next 
Sunday.  Rev.  Tom  Fisher  had  come  on  to  assist  the 
pastor  in  a  series  of  meetings  immediately  after  the 
dedication  of  the  meeting-house;  and  being  present 
that  morning,  he  was  invited  to  preach.  For  so  rainy 
a  day  the  congregation  was  very  large.  The  services 
were  held  in  the  commodious  Lecture  room,  which  had 
been  finished  for  some  two  years,  and  was  occupied  by 
the  church  in  its  regular  meetings,  and  for  Sunday- 
school  and  prayer-meeting  purposes. 

On  Saturday  night,  about  12  o'clock,  preceding  the 
the  day  appointed  the  second  time,  for  the  dedication 
of  the  church,  a  severe  storm  again  set  in.  It  rained 


158  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

violently  for  some  time,  and  then  began  to  snow  ;  and 
it  continued  to  snow  most  of  the  day  on  Sunday.  By 
the  time  for  meeting,  there  were  several  inches  of  snow 
on  the  ground ;  and  it  was  still  snowing  violently  when 
the  people  were  gathering  for  the  services.  It  was  a 
sad  disappointment  again  to  Dr.  T.  and  his  people; 
and  it  was  very  dispiriting  to  the  excellent  ministers 
who  had  again  left  their  own  large  city  charges  to 
assist  in  the  dedication  services.  Consultation  was 
had  on  the  subject,  and  it  was  determined  to  proceed 
with  the  services.  Dr.  Fuller  preached  a  very  able  ser- 
mon in  the  morning;  Dr.  Burrows  preached  an  equal- 
ly excellent  sermon  in  the  afternoon  ;  and  the  pastor 
preached  at  night.  The  sermon  of  the  pastor  on  the 
occasion  is  published  in  the  volume  of  his,  * 'Revival 
Discourses."  The  collection  taken  up  on  the  occasion 
was  a  large  one  considering  the  size  of  the  congrega- 
tion. President  Pierce,  who  was  present,  made  a  con- 
tribution of  fifty  dollars  to  the  object  that  morning 
and  at  the  close  of  the  services  he  gallantly  filled  his 
carriage  with  ladies  and  trudged  to  the  Presidential 
Mansion  through  the  snow  and  slush  on  foot.  But  for 
the  very  inclement  weather  the  house  on  the  occasion 
would  doubtless  have  been  filled  to  overflowing,  to 
listen  to  the  discourses  of  Drs.  Fuller  and  Burrows, 
who  were  both  favorites  with  the  Washington  people. 
As  it  was  there  was  great  reason  for  gratitude  for 
what  was  accomplished.  The  congregations  were  about 
the  same  size  during  all  three  of  the  services  of  the 
occasion.  Dr.  Fuller  remarked  before  he  began  to 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  159 

preach,  that  the  size  of  the  congregation  present,  des- 
pite the  great  inclemency  of  the  weather,  evinced  so 
deep  an  interest  on  the  part  of  the  people,  that  he  felt 
as  mu«h  interest  in  preaching  to  them,  as  he  would 
have  done  in  preaching  to  an  overflowing  congrega- 
tion, if  the  weather  had  been  pleasant. 

Mr.  Fisher  remained  some  days  in  the  city,  and 
assisted  the  pastor  in  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Lect- 
ure room  of  the  church;  but  his  preaching  in  Wash- 
ington was  not  attended  with  anything  like  his  usual 
degree  of  success  ;  and  quite  a  disappointment,  both 
on  his  part,  and  on  the  part  of  the  pastor  was  expe- 
rienced at  his  failure. 

Soon  after  the  dedication  of  the  church  edifice,  Dr. 
T.  went  to  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  to  assist  Rev.  Thos.  E. 
Skinner,  D.  D.,  then  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
in  that  city,  in  a  series  of  revival  meetings.  He  was 
accompanied  on  this  trip  by  his  dear  daughter,  Emma, 
who  was  then  twenty-one  years  of  age.  The  trip  was 
a  very  pleasant  one  to  her ;  and  she  made  many  warm 
friends  wherever  she  went.  It  also  conduced  to  the 
improvement  of  her  *».calth  ;  and  it  was  a  great  grat- 
ification to  her  father  to  have  her  company,  as  he  was 
compelled  to  be  so  much  away  from  the  loved  ones  at 
home,  in  collecting  money  for  the  church  building. 

The  meeting  at  Raleigh  was  a  deeply  interesting  one; 
and  quite  a  large  number  of  happy  converts  were 
added  to  the  church  by  baptism. 

An  incident  occurred  during  the  progress  of  that 
meeting  which  Dr.  T.  remembers  stili  with  interest. 


160  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

The  meeting  house  was  densely  packed  every  night 
with  attentive  and  anxious  listeners.  The  end  gallery 
was  reserved  for  the  negroes.  And  every  night,  just 
as  Dr.  T.  was  winding  up  his  sermon,  and  making  his 
most  earnest  appeals  to  the  unconverted,  an  old  negro 
woman  in  the  gallery  \vould  raise  a  tremendous  shout, 
which  would  occasion  a  serious  interference  with  Dr. 
T.'s  plan  of  conducting  the  services.  He  bore  the 
interruption  as  patiently  as  he  could  for  two  or  three 
nights;  and  he  then  told  the  old  woman  she  must  not 
interrupt  the  services  in  that  way  any  more ;  and  if 
she  wanted  to  use  her  stentorian  voice  in  praising  the 
Lord,  she  had  better  leave  the  church  before  she  be- 
gan, and  go  out  into  the  open  air,  where  she  might 
make  the  welkin  ring  with  her  loudest  shouts.  Or,  if 
she  would  wait  until  both  he  and  she  had  gotten  out  of 
the  wilderness,  and  had  gone  over  to  take  possession 
of  the  promised  land,  he  would  join  her  in  loudest 
praise  to  Him  who  had  loved  them  and  given  himself 
for  them  ;  and  who  was  infinitely  worthy  to  receive 
"blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving, 
and  honor,  and  power,  and  might,  forever  and  ever." 
The  old  woman  made  no  more  trouble  during  the  meet- 
ing, and  the  good  work  rolled  on  with  great  power 
during  the 'whole  time  of  Dr.  T.'s  stay  in  the  city.  It 
was  a  meeting  never  to  be  forgotten. 

From  Kaleigh,  Dr.  T.  and  his  daughter,  went  to 
Columbia,  S.  C.  Dr.  J.  T.  Zealy,  was  then  pastor  of 
the  church  in  that  city,  and  Dr.  T.  and  his  daughter 
made  their  home  at  his  house  during  their  stay  in 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  Ifil 

Columbia.  They  were  handsomely  entertained,  and 
enjoyed  themselves  very  much  while  they  sojourned 
in  that  city.  Columbia  had  always  been  a  hard  place 
for  the  Baptists;  and  it  seemed  almost  impossible  for 
the  denomination  to  gain  a  permanent  foothold  in  that 
city.  Some  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the  de- 
nomination had  preached  there,  more  or  less.  Dr. 
J.  P.  Boyce,  had  preceded  Dr.  Zealy  in  the  pastorate 
there  for  some  little  time.  It  was  difficult  for  Baptists 
to  get  the  cars  of  the  people,  and  thus  to  make  them- 
selves known  and  felt  in  that  Pedo-baptist  community. 
And  such  was  still,  tc\  a  great  extent,  the  state  of 
things,  when  Dr.  T.  arrived  there  in  the  spring  of  1856, 
to  assist  Dr.  Zealy  in  a  series  of  revival  meetings. 
The  very  successful  meetings  which  he  had  previously 
held  in  Charleston,  at  Edgefield  Court  House,  "at 
Aiken,  and  at  Darlington,  had  excited  an  interest  in 
the  public  mind  in  Columbia;  and  the  announcement 
that  he  would  commence  a  series  of  meetings  in  that 
city,  at  a  given  time,  brought  out  a  good  congregation 
on  the  very  first  night  of  the  meeting  ;  and  in  a  few 
days  afterwards,  the  house  would  not  hold  the  people 
who  seemed  anxious  to  listen  to  the  proclamation  of 
divine  truth.  The  negroes  were  crowded  out  of  the 
galleries,  very  much  to  their  dissatisfaction  ;  and  very 
soon  it  was  found  impossible  to  accommodate  the 
crowds  who  resorted  there  to  attend  the  meetings, 
^specially  at  the  night  service,  even  after  the  galleries 
had  been  given  up  by  the  negroes,, and  every  available 
space  in  the  house  was  filled  with  extra  seats.  It  was 


162  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

very  common  for  Dr.  T.  on  his  way  to  church  at  night, 
and  while  the  bell  was  still  ringing,  to  meet  crowds  of 
people  going  away  for  want  of  room  ;  and  as  they  met 
pther  crowds  on  their  way  to  the  meeting,  they  would 
say  to  them  :  "You  can't  get  in  :  we  have  been  there, 
and  the  house  is  filled  to  overflowing."  Indeed,  so 
anxious  did  the  people  seem  to  hear  the  preaching, 
that  many  of  them  stood  at  the  front  door,  and  out  on 
*  the  pavement,  even  to  the  front  gate ;  and  others  sur- 
rounded the  windows,  and  stood  there  during  the 
service  ;  so  eager  were  they  to  hear  the  gospel  preached 
in  simplicity  and  earnestness.  Many  in  that  way  be- 
came deeply  interested  in  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 
During  the  progress  of  this  meeting,  Rev.  Drs. 
Howe  and  Leland,  Prof essors  in  the  Presbyterian  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  located  in  that  city,  became  deeply 
interested  in  the  good  work ;  and  they  advised  their 
students  to  attend  the  services  regularly,  and  take 
notes  of  the  discourses.  The  students,  therefore,  at- 
tended, en  masse,  from  day  to  day  ;  and  taking  their 
seats  in  the  gallery,  they  took  notes  of  all  the  lectures 
and  sermons.  Dr.  Leland  was  profoundly  interested 
in  the  meetings ;  and  he  scarcely  missed  a  single  ser- 
vice after  he  began  to  attend  the  meeting.  The  breth- 
ren provided  a  comfortable  chair  for  him  near  the  pul- 
pit ;  and  he  would  sit  there  and  weep  until  the  tears 
would  fall  on  the  floor  in  the  greatest  abundance.  He 
would  not  wipe  them  from  his  eyes  ;  for  he  said  l\e 
was  not  ashamed  to  weep  over  the  wretched  condition 
of  poor  perishing  sinners  around  him. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  K)3 

The  result  of  that  meeting  was  very  happy.  Dr. 
Zeuly  gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  to  nearly  130 
souls  on  the  first  Communion  service  after  the  meeting 
had  closed.  Soon  after  that  time,  the  church  erected  a 
new  and  very  commodious  meeting-house,  which  was 
providentially  saved  from  the  flames  when  Gen.  Sher- 
man reduced  a  large  portion  of  that  beautiful  city  to( 
, ashes.  For  the  means  to  erect  this  excellent  church 
edifice,  the  church  was  greatly  indebted  to  the  princely 
contribution  of  Rev.  Dr.  Jas.  P.  Boyce. 

At  the  time  that  meeting  was  held  in  Columbia,  Rev. 
Dr.  J.  S.  Reynolds  was  connected  with  the  South 
Carolina  College,  as  Professor  and  Chaplain.  He 
evinced  a  deep  interest  in  the  progress  of  the  meeting  ; 
and  he  and  Dr.  T.  remained  fast  friends  as  long  as  Dr. 
Reynolds  lived.  No  one  regretted  the  death  of  that 
excellent  man  more  sincerely  and  more  profoundly 
than  did  Dr.  T. 

After  the  close  of  the  meeting  in  Columbia,  Dr. 
T.  and  his  daughter  made  a  hasty  visit  to  Augusta 
and  Edgefield,  and  then  returned  to  Washington 
City. 

During  the  years  of  1856  and  1857,  Dr.  T.  held 
several  interesting  meetings  in  the  State  of  South 
Carolina.  He  held  a  meeting  of  interest,  in  185G,  with 
the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Savannah,  Ga.,  of  which 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Rambaut  was  pastor.  Dr.  Ram- 
baut,  in  speaking  to  some  friends  in  Missouri,  in  the 
presence  of  Dr.  T.  about  that  meeting,  years  after- 
wards, told  them  that  Dr.  T.  preached  for  two  weeks 


164  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

in  his  church  in  Savannah,  night  after  night,  to 
1,500  appreciative  hearers. 

From  Savannah,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Beaufort,  S.  C. 
to  assist  Rev.  J.  M.  C.  Breaker  in  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  his  church  in  that  beautiful  little  city.  He  re- 
mained in  Beaufort  about  two  weeks.  The  meeting 
was  attended  with  happy  results.  He  received  in 
Beaufort  a  handsome  contribution  to  the  Washing- 
ton Church ;  as  indeed  he  did  from  the  brethren 
and  friends  in  Savannah. 

During  the  month  of  July,  1856,  Dr.  T.  visited 
Marion,  Ala.,  and  assisted  Dr.  Mclntosh  in  a  series  of 
meetings  in  his  church  in  that  place.  The  meeting  was 
a  great  blessing  to  the  schools  especially.  In  Howard 
College,  fourteen  of  the  students  made  a  profession  of 
religion ;  among  whom  were  several  who  subsequently 
became  preachers  of  the  gospel. 

The  brothers,  William  and  David  Reeves,  were  among 
this  number.  But  one  young  man,  not  connected  with 
the  College,  was  brought  in  during  that  meeting.  A 
general  work  of  grace  in  the  village  the  year  before, 
had  brought  into  the  church  nearly  all  the  impressible 
material  in  the  community. 

In  the  Judson  Female  Institute  the  good  work  was 
most  effectual.  Some  sixty  of  the  young  ladies  con- 
nected with  that  excellent  school,  made  a  profession 
of  religion  during  that  meeting,  And  when  Dr.  T. 
was  about  to  leave  the  place,  he  received  a  note,  to 
which  were  appended  the  names  of  sixty  girls,  beg- 
ging him  to  remember  them  in  his  prayers,  that  they 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  165 

might  be  brought  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  the  truth. 
It  was  near  the  time  of  examination  and  exhibition  in 
the  school,  or  Dr.  T.  would  not  have  left  when  he 
did.  Prof.  Sherman,  who  was  then  President  of  the 
Institute,  did  all  he  could  to  have  the  pupils  enjoy  the 
benefit  of  the  revival,  without  neglecting  materially 
their  school  duties.  Di'.  T.  and  the  pastor  went  to 
the  Institute  every  morning ;  and  instead  of  the  usual 
religious  services  at  the  opening  of  the  school,  Dr.  T. 
conducted  such  religious  services  for  half  an  hour  as 
he  deemed  proper.  After  those  services^  he  and  the 
pastor  resorted  to  the  parlor,  and  received  there  two 
two  or  three  young  ladies  at  a  time,  and  conversed  with 
them,  and  prayed  for  them.  Then  they  would  return 
to  the  schoolroom,  and  two  or  three  others  would  be 
sent  to  the  parlor  to  converse  with  the  ministers,  and 
be  prayed  for.  And  so  it  was  usually  kept  up  all  the 
morning.  Many  of  the  girls  were  savingly  benefited, 
it  is  believed,  by  those  parlor  exercises.  Dr.  T.  has 
since  met  many  of  those  girls  in  various  places,  all 
over  the  South  and  South-west,  in  their  own  happy 
homes,  and  found  them  cherishing  still  their  blessed 
hopes. 

From  Marion,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Montgomery,  Ala.,  to 
assist  Dr.  Tichenor  in  a  series  of  meetings  in  his 
church  in  that  city.  The  weather  had  then  become 
very  warm,  and  the  nights  were  very  short.  The  sea- 
son, therefore,  was  very  unpropitious  for  a  series  of 
meetings.  And  then,  to  increase  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  a  successful  meeting,  the  rainy  season  sot.  in 


166  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

during  the  meeting.  Scarcely  a  day  elapsed  without 
a  heavy  shower,  if  not  a  steady  rain,  during  the  day. 
This  state  of  things  greatly  retarded  the  progress  of 
the  good  work  in  the  meeting,  and  prevented  the  ac- 
complishment of  much  that  had  been  anticipated  in 
relation  to  it.  Still  the  meeting  was  not  without  bene- 
ficial results.  Quite  a  number  were  added  to  the 
church  by  baptism  and  by  letter ;  and  the  graces  of 
Christians  were  greatly  quickened  and  developed.  Dr. 
T.  has  often  wished  since,  that  he  could  give  the 
good  people  of  that  church  one  of  his  best  revival 
meetings  ;  but  up  to  this  writing,  July,  1887,  he  has 
never  enjoyed  such  an  opportunity. 

During  the  months  of  March  and  April,  1857,  Dr.  T. 
held  a  meeting  at  Sumter,  S.  C.  On  his  arrival  there 
he  stopped  first  with  the  family  of  Rev.  Mr.  Graham. 
The  pastor,  Rev.  W.  D.  Rice,  is  a  son-in-law  of  Mr. 
Graham.  The  day  before  the  series  of  meetings  com- 
menqed  in  Sumter,  Mr.  Graham  took  Dr.  T.  in  his 
buggy  and  gave  him  a  pleasant  ride  around  the  vil- 
lage. In  their  trip  they  saw  a  fine  looking  gentleman, 
about  sixty  years  of  age,  walking  leisurely  just  ahead 
of  them.  "There,"  said  Mr.  Graham,  pointing  to  that 
gentleman,  "is  a  nufh  who,  if  he  can  be  brought  into 
the  church  during  the  meeting,  will  compensate  for  all 
the  labor  of  the  occasion."  Dr.  T.  simply  replied, 
"And  why  not?"  Mr.  Graham  then  related  the  cir- 
cumstances attending  the  case.  His  wife  was  an  active 
member  of  the  church,  and  had  been  for  many  years. 
All  his  children  also  had  made  a  profession  of  religion, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  167 

and  were  adorning  their  Christian  profession  by  con- 
sistent, pious  lives.  It  was  thought  that  this  gentle- 
man himself  had  been  indulging  a  secret  hope  in  Christ 
for  many  years.  But  he  could  not  be  induced  to  unite 
with  the  church,  because  he  felt  himself  to  be  unworthy 
of  a  place  amongst  Christians.  Well,  the  meeting  began 
and  went  on  with  rapidly  increasing  interest  from  day 
to  day.  Many  were  deeply  convicted  of  sin,  and  were 
subsequently  converted  and  added  to  the  church. 
Many  more  were  inquiring  what  they  must  do  to  be 
saved.  Major  Hainesworth,  the  gentleman  above  re- 
ferred to,  was  a  prominent  lawyer  at  the  Sumter  bar. 
He  was  a  constant  attendant  on  all  the  meetings.  On 
one  occasion,  Dr.  T.  made  it  very  clear  to  his  mind, 
that  neutrality  in  religion  was  impossible ;  that  we  must 
be  engaged  in  the  service  of  Christ,  or  in  the  service 
of  Satan ;  that  we  must  belong  to  one  or  the  other  of 
the  two  great  kingdoms,  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  or  the 
kingdom  of  the  devil;  that  there  could,  by  no  possi- 
bility, be  any  middle  ground  in  this  matter  ;  and  that 
Jesus  had  p re-adjudicated  the  case  when  he  said,  "He 
that  is  not  with  me,  is  against  me;  and  he  that  gather- 
eth  not  with  me,  scattereth  abroad."  Major  Haines- 
worth was  led  to  reflect  seriously  on  the  subject ;  and 
he  thought  within  himself,  "Have  I,  all  this  time,  been 
giving  my  support  to  the  cause  of  Satan  ?  I  will  do  so 
no  more.  From  this  time  evermore  it  shall  be  known 
that  I  am  a  friend  of  Jesus.  And  whether  I  have 
much  light,  or  little,  a  strong  hope,  or  a  weak  one,  I 
will  identify  myself  with  the  friends  of  the  Redeemer." 


168  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

He  offered  himself  immediately  to  the  church  as  a  can- 
didate for  baptism  and  subsequent  church  member- 
ship; and  he  was  joyfully  received,  and  without  longer 
delay  he  was  buried  with  his  Lord  in  baptism,  to  the 
great  gratification  of  his  family,  and  also  to  the  joy  of 
the  whole  church.  The  meeting  at  Sumter  was  a  grand 
success,  and  a  large  number  of  rejoicing  converts  were 
added  to  the  church  during  its  continuance.  A  liberal 
subscription  was  made  here,  also,  for  the  church  in 
Washington  City. 

Dr.  T.  held  meetings  subsequently,  during  that  year, 
at  Shelbyville,  N.  C.,  and  in  South  Carolina,  at  Cam- 
den,  at  Sandy  Level,  at  Chester,  at  Spartanburg,  at 
Lawtonville,  and  at  a  number  of  other  places,  with 
uniform  success.  His  recollection  of  those  meetings 
is  cherished  with  peculiar  interest  to  this  day.  Many 
of  those  who  were  brought  into  the  churches  through 
his  instrumentality  are  now  prominent  members  of 
their  respective  churches ;  and  quite  a  number  among 
those  converts  are  now  preachers  of  the  gospel,  and 
are  breaking  the  bread  of  life  to  perishing  souls.  The 
aggregate  number  added  to  the  churches  in  the  old 
Palmetto  State,  through  his  instrumentality,  was  very 
great.  And  he  received  for  his  church  in  Washington 
City,  from  the  churches  which  he  visited  and  amongst 
whom  he  labored  in  those  meetings  in  that  State,  very 
liberal  contributions  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to 
about  $7,000. 

In  the  autumn  of  1857,  Dr.  T.  held  a  meeting  of 
days  at  Hillsborough,  N.  C.,  the  place  of  residence  of 


Or  A  LONG  LIFE.  169 

Gpv.  Graham  and  his  family.  Mrs.  Graham  and  her 
excellent  mother,  Mrs.  Washington,  were  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  Church  in  that  village.  The  Gov- 
ernor himself  was  not  a  Baptist;  but  usually  went 
with  his  wife  to  her  church.  The  meeting  at  Hills- 
borough  was  considerably  blessed  ;  and  a  number  of 
valuable  accessions  were  made  to  the  church ;  and  the 
members  generally  were  very  much  revived,  and  en- 
couraged . 

During  his  stay  in  Hillsborough,  Dr.  T.  received  a 
pressing  invitation  to  visit  Chapel  Hill,  the  seat  of  the 
North  Carolina  University,  and  hold  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  the  Baptist  Church  at  that  place.  Mrs.  Gra- 
ham was  very  anxious  that  he  should  go  to  Chapel  Hill, 
and  offered  to  take  him  over,  a*  distance  of  some 
twelve  miles,  in  her  own  carriage.  She  had  several 
promising  sons  then  connected  with  the  University  ; 
and  she  hoped  that  his  visit  might  result  in  their  con- 
version. He  concluded  to  go  to  Chapel  Hill,  and  Mrs. 
Graham  accompanied  him  and  remained  there  until 
the  close  of  his  labors  in  that  place.  He  met  a  very 
cordial  reception  at  Chapel  Hill,  not  onlj»on  the  part 
of  the  Baptists,  but  also  on  the  part  of  the  President 
and  Professors  of  the  University,  and  of  the  commu- 
nity in  general.  It  was  regarded  as  a  very  hard  place, 
and  doubts  were  very  freely  expressed  in  Hillsborough 
as  to  whether  anything  desirable  could  be  effected 
there.  But  the  meeting  was  a  grand  success.  It  con- 
tinued two  weeks  ;  and  during  that  time,  sixty  of  the 
citizens  hud  professed  hope  in  Christ,  and  also  sixty 


170  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

of  the  students  in  the  University  had  been  converted. 
Of  the  sixty  students  that  were  converted,  sixteen 
were  members  of  the  Senior  class ;  of  the  six- 
teen converts  in  the  Senior  class,  six  were  first 
might  men,  that  is,  the  best  students  in  their  class. 
The  President  of  the  University,  Ex-Governor  Swain, 
and  all  the  Professors,  with  a  single  exception,  evinced 
a  deep  interest  in  the  meeting,  and  co-operated  hearti- 
ly in  the  blessed  work.  The  lamented  Prof.  Mitchell 
was  then  acting  as  Chaplain  of  the  University,  in  ad- 
dition to  his  duties  as  Professor  of  Geology  and  Min- 
eralogy. He  was  especially  interested  in  the  good 
work  then  progressing  with  so  much  power  in  the  com- 
munity. The  faculty  of  the  University  were  very 
anxious  to  bring  the  students  generally  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  revival.  There  were  then  connected 
with  the  University  over  four  hundred  students,  and 
they  represented  fourteen  States  of  the  Union.  But 
how  to  manage  the  matter  so  as  to  get  all  the  students 
under  the  influence  of  the  preaching,  seemed  rather 
difficult.  At  first,  it  was  thought  best  to  have  no 
Chapel  service  on  Sunday  morning,  and  let  the  stu- 
dents attend  the  meeting  in  the  Baptist  Church.  But 
then  it  was  seen  at  once,  that  they  could  not  accom- 
plish their  object  in  that  way.  In  the  first  place,  they 
knew  that  the  church  would  be  filled  to  overflowing  by 
the  citizens,  and  there  would  be  no  room  for  the  stu- 
dents. And  in  the  next  place,  they  would  have  no 
right  to  require  the  students  to  attend  church  any- 
where off  the  Campus.  It  was,  therefore,  determin- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE,  171 

ed  by  the  Faculty,  to  invite  Dr.  T.  to  officiate  in  the 
College  Chapel  on  Sunday  morning,  and  then  they 
could  require  all  the  students  to  be  present.  Accord- 
ingly a  committee  from  the  Faculty  waited  on  him  at 
his  quarters,  and  informed  him  of  the  result  of  their 
deliberations  on  the  subject,  and  earnestly  requested 
him  to  acquiesce  in  their  plan  in  the  premises.  The 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  seemed  quite  unwilling 
to  change  the  place  of  meeting  on  Sunday  morning  ; 
but  Dr.  T.  told  him  that  he  thought  it  was  clearly 
their  duty  to  go  to  the  Chapel  that  morning — that  the 
building  was  a  very  large  one,  and  would  accommo- 
date both  students  and  citizens  ;  and  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  accommodate  even  all  the  citizens  in  the 
church.  Accordingly  the  services  were  held  in  the 
Chapel  of  the  University,  and  a  vast  crowd,  besides 
the  students  of  the  University,  heard  the  procla- 
mation of  divine  truth  that  day.  The  interest  in  the 
meeting  was  intensified  among  the  students  by  the 
services  in  the  Chapel  that  morning.  The  meet- 
ing at  Chapel  Hill  was  a  great  meeting.  President 
Swain,  in  a  business  note  to  Judge  Settle,  said  that 
there  had  not  been  a  meeting  there  of  so  much 
interest  during  the  whole  of  his  Presidency,  which 
had  then  extended  over  a  period  of  twenty-two  years  ; 
and  he  spoke  of  Dr.  T.  in  the  most  complimentary 
terms. 

Mrs.  Graham  had  the  unspeakable  pleasure  of  see- 
ing her  sons  converted  in  that  meeting  ;  and  some 
weeks  afterwards,  while  Dr.  T.  was  in  attendance  on 


172  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

the  meeting  of  the  North  Carolina  Baptist  State  Con- 
vention, at  Ealeigh,  he  went  up  to  Hills  borough  and 
baptized  them  into  the  fellowship  of  the  church  of 
which  their  mother  and  grandmother  were  members. 

The  meeting  at  Chapel  Hill  was  closed  too  soon. 
Dr.  T.  had  agreed  to  hold  a  meeting  at  Trinity  Church, 
up  country,  of  which  Rev.  T.  W.  Tobey  was  then 
pastor.  Once  before,  owing  to  a  great  interest  in  a 
meeting  in  which  he  was  then  engaged,  he  had  been 
compelled  to  postpone  his  visit  to  the  Trinity  Church; 
and  he  thought  it  would  not  do  to  disappoint  the 
brethren  there  again.  But  he  has  regretted  very  many 
times  since,  that  he  closed  his  labors  at  Chapel  Hill 
when  he  did.  The  work  was  rolling  on  with  constantly 
increasing  interest  to  the  very  day  he  left;  and  it  had 
taken  a  strong  hold  on  the  students  in  the  University, 
whose  conversion  was  pre-eminently  important,  for 
obvious  reasons. 

In  the  winter  of  1858,  Dr.  T.  made  a  visit  to  Mo- 
bile, Ala.,  to  assist  Rev.  Mr.  Collins,  pastor  of  the  St. 
Francis  Street  Church  in  that  city,  in  a  series  of  meet- 
ings. He  arrived  in  Mobile  on  the  22d  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, Washington's  birthday,  which  was  being  cele- 
brated in  the  city,  and  commenced  preaching  in  the 
Lecture  Room  of  the  church  that  night.  That  room 
.  was  almost  immediately  filled  up,  and  the  meeting  was 
removed  to  the  main  audience  room  above.  This 
spacious  room  was  also  soon  filled  to  overflowing,  and 
extra  seats  were  brought  into  requisition  until  the  close 
of  the  meeting.  The  meeting  continued  a  little  over 

O  O 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  173 

four  weeks.  It  was  a  blessed  meeting,  and  resulted  in 
an  accession  to  the  church  of  many  converts.  Rev. 
J.  B.  Hawthorne,  D.  D.,  was  induced  to  quit  the  bar, 
and  become  a  preacher,  as  one  of  the  happy  results  of 
this  meeting.  Dr.  T.  was  assisted  in  this  meeting  by 
Rev.  D.  A.  Nichols,  of  Pennsylvania,  who  was  one  of 
the  sweetest  singers  in  Israel,  and  whom  he  took  with 
him  to  conduct  the  singing,  and  aid  him  in  the  prayer 
and  inquiry  meetings  in  his  evangelistic  work.  He  was 
of  great  service  in  the  meetings  held  by  Dr.  Teasdale, 
as  Sankey  was  subsequently  to  Moody.  Dr.  T.  was 
entertained  most  handsomely,  during  his  stay  in  Mo- 
bile, by  Thos.  P.  Miller,  Esq.,  and  his  estimable  lady. 
The  meeting  in  that  city  produced  a  profound  impres- 
sion upon  the  community  at  large.  Madam  LeVert, 
who  always  snuffed  the  breeze  of  popularity  from  afar, 
put  in  her  presence  in  the  meeting,  again  and  again, 
together  with  her  accomplished  daughter.  One  of  the 
deacons,  whose  duty  called  him  to  the  wharf  most  of  one 
day,  remarked  that  even  among  the  rough  wharf  hands 
he  had  not  heard  a  single  profane  word  daring  the  day, 
so  deep  and  so  general  was  the  influence  of  the  meeting 
upon  the  people  of  the  city  at  large. 

From  Mobile,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Columbus,  Miss.,  to 
hold  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  First  Baptist  Church 
in  that  place.  The  church  had  been  destitute  of  a 
pastor  for  nearly  a  year  and  a  half,  and  was  conse- 
quently in  a  cold  state  in  religion.  On  his  way  to 
Columbus,  he  met,  at  Artesia,  then  the  terminus  of 
the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  Maj.  Anderson,  Cashier 


174  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

of  the  Bank  in  Columbus,  who  was, on  his  way  to  Mo- 
bile on  business  for  the  bank.  They  had  both  to  stay 
over  night  at  Artesia.  Maj.  Anderson,  in  the  course 
of  the  conversation  that  evening,  took  occasion  to  tell 
Dr.  T.  that  he  was  going  to  one  of  the  hardest  places 
in  the  world,  he  thought.  And  when  he  arrived  at 
Columbus,  a  good  Methodist  lady  inquired  of  a  Baptist 
sister  what  Dr.  T.  expected  to  do  there.  She  said  they 
had  made  three  efforts  that  very  winter  to  awaken  a 
religious  interest  in  the  community,  and  had  signally 
failed.  But  the  meeting  began,  and  went  on  with  con- 
stantly increasing  interest  for  four  weeks;  and  the 
result  was  that  over  four  hundred  souls  were  converted 
during  the  meeting.  About  two  hundred  of  the  con- 
verts united  with  the  Baptist  Church ;  over  one  hundred 
joined  the  Methodists ;  between  fifty  and  sixty  con- 
nected themselves  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  ;  and 
the  balance  were  distributed  among  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterians,  the  Episcopalians,  and  the  Campbellites, 
or  Christians,  so  called.  Many  of  the  converts  in  that 
meeting  were  among  the  most  prominent  citizens  of 
the  place. 

The  church  in  Columbus  made  a  donation  of  one 
thousand  dollars  to  the  church  enterprise  in  Washing- 
ton ;  and  then  contributed  several  hundred  dollars  be- 
sides for  the  special  benefit  of  Dr.  T.  and  his  family. 
The  church  was  then  rich — having  an  aggregate  a  mount 
of  wealth  in  its  membership  of  about  two  millions  of 
dollars.  The  members  could,  therefore,  give  largely 
and  not  feel  it. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  175 

Mr.  Nichols  accompanied  Dr.  T.  to  Columbus,  as 
he  did  also  to  all  the  other  points  in  Mississippi,  where 
he  held  meetings  that  spring ;  and  his  sweet  sing- 
ing was  of  great  service  to  the  cause  in  all  the  meet- 
ings. He  frequently  melted  the  vast  audiences  to 
tears  by  one  of  his  excellent  solos. 

From  Columbus  Dr.  T.  went  to  Aberdeen,  Miss., 
twenty-eight  miles  above  Columbus,  and  which  is 
situated  on  the  Tombigbee  river,  as  is  Columbus. 
There  was  then  no  railroad  to  Aberdeen,  and  the 
journey  had  to  be  made  by  private  conveyance.  On 
the  night  before  he  left  Columbus,  a  severe  thunder 
storm  came  up,  and  caught  the  people  in  the  church. 
There  was  a  slight  slack  about  the  time  the  people 
wanted  to  go  home ;  and  the  congregation  at  large 
reached  their  dwellings  with  but  slight  inconvenience. 
Then  it  rained  very  severely  all  night.  So  great  was 
the  fall  of  rain  that  the  small  streams  were  so  swollen 
in  the  morning,  that  they  could  not  be  forded.  Dr. 
T.  was  anxious  to  reach  his  appointment  at  Aberdeen 
that  night,  and  therefore  undertook  to  make  the  trip. 
He  learned  that  by  going  a  few  miles  out  of  the  way, 
and  thereby  heading  one  of  the  unfordable  streams,  he 
would  most  likely  be  able  to  get  to  Aberdeen  before 
any  great  rise  in  the  river  would  occur.  Accordingly 
he  took  that  route  ;  but  imagine  his  surprise  when  he 
came  to  what  was  called  the  heading  of  the  unford- 
able stream,  to  find  that  the  water  was  running  over 
the  road  for  a  hundred  yards  or  more,  and  seemed 
very  deep,  if  not  impassable.  After  a  very  careful 


176  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

examination  of  the  situation,  he  concluded  to  venture 
to  cross  it,  and  gave  the  driver  directions  to  go  ahead. 
They  were  riding  in  a  Concord  buggy,  which  was  high 
up  on  the  springs.  Taking  all  he  could  in  his  hands, 
and  standing  up  on  the  seat  of  the  buggy,  they  dashed 
into  the  water.  The  horses  were  tall,  and  they  did 
not  lose  their  feet,  though  the  water  came  up  to  their 
backs  for  some  distance.  -The  crossing  was,  therefore, 
effected  with  no  loss  of  life  or  limb,  and  with  the  in- 
convenience only  of  having  the  baggage  in  the  trunk, 
which  was  high  up  on  the  back  of  the  buggy,  pretty 
well  saturated,  and  somewhat  injured.  When  they 
came  within  about  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  of  Aber- 
deen, they  came  to  a  creek  which  was  so  swollen  that 
they  could  not  cross  it ;  and  they  were  compelled  to 
go  back  to  the  next  house,  and  spend  the  night  there* 
Fortunately  they  found  excellent  entertainment ;  and 
the  lady  of  the  house,  who  had  heard  a  good  deal 
about  the  great  meeting  in  Columbus,  was  very  glad 
of  an  opportunity  of  making  the  acquaintance  of  Dr. 
T.,  and  extending  to  him  the  hospitalities  of  her  home. 
The  next  morning  he  again  set  out  for  Aberdeen. 
At  considerable  risk  the  swollen  creek  was  crossed  ; 
and  then  there  was  no  serious  impediment  in  the  way 
until  he  came  to  the  swamp  extending  a  mile  or  two 
out  from  the  ferry.  Here  he  found  the  road  deeply 
overflowed,  and  totally  impassable  for  carriages. 
Procuring  a  skiff,  and  putting  his  baggage  into  it,  he 
was  rowed  to  the  ferryman's  house,  which  was  situated 
on  a  high  bluff,  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  When  he 


OF  A  T.OXO  TJFF,.  177 

took  the  skiff,  he  dismissed  the  driver  and  team  from 
Columbus,  and  they  worked  their  way  back  without 
difficulty.  There  were  yet  three  miles  to  be  made 
from  the  ferry  to  Aberdeen.  The  river  had  then 
risen  to  such  a  height  that  it  was  overflowing  its  banks 
nearly  all  along  the  way  ;  and  in  many  places  the  road 
was  almost  impassable.  His  only  chance  to  get  on  to 
Aberdeen  was  to  hire  the  ferryman  to  put  him  across 
the  river  and  send  him  to  the  city  in  his  buggy. 
The  journey  was  ultimately  consummated,  and  the 
dangers  were  all  over.  Dr.  T.  has  often  thought  that 
he  would  not  again  run  such  risks,  and, encounter  such 
exposures  for  a  very  considerable  sum  of  money.  Mr. 
Nichols  had  gone  up  from  Columbus  to  Aberdeen  a 
few  days  before,  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  coming  of 
Dr.  T.  ;  and  he  had  therefore  escaped  the  perils  and 
the  exposure  to  which  Dr.  T.  had  been  subjected. 

He  commenced  the  meeting  in  Aberdeen  the  next 
night  after  his  arrival.  The  meeting  in  this  city  was 
like  that  in  Columbus,  greatly  blessed.  About  one 
hundred  and  fifty  souls  professed  religion  during  the 
meeting.  Quite  a  number  of  the  converts  were  very 
prominent  citizens.  Several  judges  and  attorneys-at- 
law,  as  well  as  merchants  and  planters,  were  among  the 
converts  in  that  meeting.  The  meeting  lasted  three 
weeks,  and  the  interest  was  kept  up  to  its  very 
close. 

From  Aberdeen  Dr.  T.  returned  to  Columbus,  and 
preached  a  few  days  with  encouraging  success  to  a 
little  church  in  the  suburbs,  about  a  mile  and  a  half 


178  REMINISCENCES    AND    INCIDENTS 

from  the  First  Church  of  Columbus,  in  which  the 
great  meeting  had  so  recently  been  held. 

From  this  place  he  went  to  Starkville,  Miss.,  to 
assist  Rev.  T.  Y.  Sellers  in  a  series  of  meetings  in  his 
church  in  that  village.  The  meeting  in  that  place 
resulted  in  great  good.  Quite  a  large  number  were 
added  to  the  church  by  baptism,  and  the  members  of 
the  church  were  greatly  revived  and  strengthened. 

From  Starkville  Dr.  T.  went  to  Crawfordville, 
Miss.,  and  held  a  meeting  of  a  few  days  continuance 
in  that  place.  His  labors  there  were  crowned  with 
gratifying  success. 

From  Crawfordville  he  went  to  Macon,  Miss.,  and 
assisted  Rev.  George  H.  Martin  in  a  series  of  meetings 
in  his  church  in  that  village.  The  meeting  in  Macon 
was  very  much  blessed,  as  the  meetings  had  been  in 
all  the  above  named  places.  Between  forty  and  fifty 
were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism  during  the 
meeting  in  Macon,  which  lasted  only  about  two  weeks 
and  a  half. 

After  the  close  of  the  meeting  in  Macon,  Dr.  T. 
returned  to  Columbus  and  spent  another  Sunday  in 
that  city.  The  church  was  still  destitute  of  a  pastor, 
and  they  earnestly  besought  him  to  become  their 
pastor.  He  told  them  that  he  could  not  for  a  moment 
entertain  any  proposition  to  leave  Washington,  unless 
a  plan,  which  had  been  somewhat  mooted  before  he 
left  that  city  on  that  trip,  could  be  consummated.  The 
plan  was  to  unite  the  First  and  Thirteenth  Street 
Churches  ;  sell  the  house  of  the  First  Church,  and  pay 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  179 

the  balance  due  on  the  commodious  edifice  of  the 
Thirteenth  Street  Church,  which  Dr.  T.  had  done  so 
much  to  erect;  and  thus  be  enabled  to  give  a  pastor  an 
adequate  support.  He  told  the  brethren  at  Columbus 
if  that  plan  could  be  carried  out  he  would  be  at  liberty 
to  entertain  a  call,  but  not  otherwise.  They  then 
wanted  to  know  what  salary  he  would  expect  if  he 
should  find  it  practicable  to  accept  their  call.  He  told 
them  he  must  have  $2500  per  annum  and  a  comforta 
ble  parsonage.  They  had  never  before  paid  their 
pastor  more  than  $1500  per  annum  ;  and  then  he  was 
required  to  shirk  for  himself  as  to  a  house  for  his 
family.  They  went  to  work  immediately,  and  in  a  day 
or  two  had  more  than  the  $2500  subscribed  towards 
the  salary.  Then  Dr.  T.  inquired,  "Well,  what  about 
a  parsonage  ?' '  He  told  them  plainly  that  he  could  not 
think  of  removing  his  family  from  Washington  City  to 
Columbus,  and  have  them  quartered  in  any  such  house 
as  could  be  rented  there.  The  mass  of  the  people  in 
Columbus  were  wealthy,  lived  in  palatial  mansions, 
kept  their  carriages,  and  enjoyed  every  comfort  and 
luxury  that  wealth  could  afford.  There  were  very 
few  houses  to  rent,  and  these  were  fit  only  for  the 
humblest  mechanics,  or  for  day  laborers.  They  then 
told  him  that  they  would  build  a  parsonage  for  him 
on  the  meeting-house  lot.  But  he  told  them  that  they 
could  not  build  a  house  for  him  in  time  for  his  use  so 
soon  as  he  would  want  to  come,  if  he  came  at  all; 
and  at  the  same  time  he  suggested  to  them  that  there 
was  an  excellent  house  then  for  sale,  at  a  very  con- 


180  REMISCENCES  AND    INCIDENTS 

venient  distance  from  the  church,  which  was  just  such 
a  house  as  they  needed  for  their  pastor,  whether  he 
should  accept  their  call,  or  some  other  person  should 
become  their  bishop.  The  suggestion  was  immedi- 
ately adopted,  and  the  house  was  at  once  bought  and 
paid  for.  The  cost  was  about  seven  thousand  dollars. 
Such  of  the  subscribers  for  the  house  and  lot  as 
did  not  pay  cash  down,  gave  their  individual  notes 
to  the  proprietor,  which  were  accepted  as  cash,  and 
the  church  did  not  run  in  debt  one  dollar  for  the 
premises.  The  house  is  well  located,  and  is  only  two 
sides  of  a  square  from  the  meeting-house.  The  lot 
contained  a  half  square  of  ground,  and  it  then  con- 
tained about  thirty  bearing  fruit  trees.  The  house 
embraces  four  large  rooms,  and  a  little  bed-room  for 
children,  besides  a  commodious  dining-room.  The 
kitchen  was  then  separate  from  the  main  building,  as 
was  the  universal  custom  in  those  days  in  almost  every 
place  in  the  South.  There  is  a  spacious  hall  running 
though  the  center  of  the  building,  and  a  porch  in 
front  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  building. 
There  were  also  then  on  the  place  good  outbuildings, 
and  an  excellent  garden  spot.  Altogether  it  was  a 
very  desirable  parsonage.  It  has  enabled  the  church 
to  support  a  pastor  since  the  war,  which  otherwise  it 
could  not  have  done. 

Dr.  T.  then  returned  to  Washington,  and  succeeded 
finally  in  effecting  a  union  of  the  two  churches  above 
named  ;  and  he  then  accepted  the  call  of  the  Columbus 
church  and  made  his  arrangements  to  enter  upon  his 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  181 

services  as  pastor  there  during  the  ensuing  autumn. 
During  his  pastorate  in  Washington,  he  had  traveled 
65,000  miles  in  the  interest  of  the  new  church  build- 
ing; spoken  on  an  average  two  hours  a  day  for  four 
years  and  a  half;  raised  over  $20,000  for  the  church 
building ;  kept  up  the  interest  in  his  church  at  home, 
and  was  instrumental  in  adding  to  the  churches,  among 
which  he  labored,  more  than  3,000  souls. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1858,  Dr.  T.  returned  to  Co- 
lumbus. The  circumstances  attending  the  commence- 
ment of  his  pastorate  there  were  very  auspicious.  The 
salary — including  the  commodious  parsonage — was  over 
$3,000  per  annum;  the  utmost  harmony  prevailed  in 
the  church  ;  and  everything  seemed  to  conspire  to  ren- 
der the  situation  pleasant  and  promising  in  the  highest 
degree. 

Soon  after  his  settlement  in  Columbus,  efficient  steps 
were  taken  towards  the  making  of  important  improve- 
ments on  the  church  edifice.  The  interior  of  the  build- 
ing was  entirely  changed.  The  galleries  were  removed; 
the  floor  of  the  audience  room  was  elevated  five  or  six 
feet ;  an  addition  of  eighteen  feet  was  made  to  the 
length  of  the  house ;  the  windows  were  changed  so  as 
to  correspond  with  the  other  alterations  of  the  build- 
ing ;  a  recess  of  twelve  feet  was  provided  in  the  rear 
of  the  pulpit  as  an  organ  and  choir  gallery  ;  an  elegant 
organ,  made  to  order,  was  placed  in  the  organ  gallery; 
a  basement  was  finished  under  the  whole  house  for  the 
colored  population  ;  all  the  wood-work  of  the  building 
was  newly  painted ;  and  the  walls  and  ceiling  of  the 


182  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

audience  room  were  handsomely  papered.  It  was,  in- 
deed, when  thus  improved  and  modernized,  an  elegant 
structure. 

And,  then,  the  music  was  of  the  highest  order;  the 
Sunday-school  was  very  prosperous,  the  congregations 
were  large  and  attentive ;  and  numerous  accessions, 
from  time  to  time,  were  made  to  the  church.  Indeed, 
everything  was  most  encouraging  at  that  time. 

In  1859,  Dr.  T.  preached  the  Commencement  ser- 
mon at  the  Mississippi  College.  Subject:  The  parable 
of  the  Prodigal  son.  During  that  year  he  assisted 
Bro.  Martin  in  a  series  of  meetings  at  Sharon,  Miss. 
He  preached  in  that  meeting  fourteen  sermons,  and 
quite  a  number  were  converted  during  the  meeting. 
His  homes,  while  at  Sharon,  on  different  occasions 
were  in  the  esteemed  families  of  Drs.  Deupree  and 
Clay. 

He  held  a  series  of  meetings  that  year,  also,  at  Sum- 
terville,  Ala.  He  preached,  in  that  meeting,  twenty- 
three  sermons,  and  many  were  converted  and  added  to 
the  church.  It  was  a  good  meeting. 

He  also  assisted,  in  the  same  year,  in  a  series  of 
meetings  in  the  Salem  Church,  Octibbeha  county,  Miss. 
It  was  a  good  meeting.  His  home  during  the  meeting 
was  with  Deu.  Dorsey  Outlaw's  family,  as,  indeed,  it 
always  was  afterwards,  until  the  time  of  his  death, 
whenever  he  visited  that  church,  or  had  occasion  to 
pass  that  way.  A  most  pleasant  and  hospitable  home 
it  was. 

In  the  .spring  of  18GO,  Dr.  T.  preached  the  Missionary 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE  183 

Sermon  before  the  Baptist  State  Convention  of  Missis- 
sippi. The  meeting  was  held  at  Natchez. 

During  June  of  that  year,  he  assisted  Elder  Nash  in 
a  series  of  meetings  in  ^ickensville,  Ala.,  which  was 
greatly  blessed,  and  a  considerable  number  were  con- 
verted and  added  to  the  church.  The  baptism  occurred 
in  the  Tombigbee  river,  and  a  large  concourse  of  peo- 
ple assembled  to  witness  the  ordinance.  The  weather 
was  excessively  hot. 

During  that  summer  he  went  to  Nashville  in  Com- 
pany with  Brethren  G.  H.  Martin,  D.  E.  Burns,  and 
Dr.  Deupree,  as  an  advisory  committee  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi "Baptist  State  Convention,  to  endeavor  to  effect 
a  reconciliation  between  Dr.  Howell  and  J.  R.  Graves. 
The  committee  were  cordially  received  by  both  parties 
in  the  controversy ;  and  ten  days  of  earnest  work,  to 
effect  a  reconciliation,  finally  failed,  when  the  com- 
mittee thought,  only  the  night  before,  that  they  had 
gained  their  object.  The  correspondence  between  the 
committee  and  the  parties  in  controversy  would  make 
quite  a  good  sized  volume.  Dr.  T.  was  made  clerk  of 
the  committee,  and  the  vast  amount  of  matter  con- 
tained in  the  correspondence  was  written  or  copied  by 
him. 

In  July  and  August  of  that  year  he  assisted  Elder 
Nash  in  a  series  of  meetings  at  Carrollton,  Ala.  He 
preached  over  twenty  sermons  in  the  meeting,  and  the 
results  were  very  happy.  A  large  number  were  con- 
verted in  the  meeting  and  added  to  the  church  ;  and 
among  them  wore  some  of  the  most  prominent  citizens 


184  REMINISCENCES    AND    INCIDENTS 

of  the  place.     It  was  a  good  meeting,  and  its  salutary 
influence  is  still  felt. 

The  church  in  Columbus  continued  to  prosper  under 
the  labors  of  Dr.  T.  until  the  tocsin  of  internecine  war 
sounded.  Then  a  wonderful  change  in  almost  every- 
thing occurred.  Quite  a  number  of  the  efficient 
members  of  the  church  left  all  and  enlisted  in  the 
mighty  conflict.  Some  of  the  prominent  members 
died  at  home  during  the  war ;  others  fell  in  the  san- 
guinary struggle;  and  the  church  was  greatly  reduced, 
both  in  numbers  and  in  its  pecuniary  resources,  by 
the  desolations  of  the  war. 

Feeling  it  to  be  his  duty  to  go  and  preach  to  the 
soldiers  on  the  tented  field,  Dr.  T.  resigned  his  charge 
of  the  church  in  the  summer  of  1863,  and  immediately 
entered  upon  his  work  as  an  Evangelist  among  the 
Southern  troops.  During  his  pastorate  in  Columbus, 
including  the  ingathering  in  the  revival  meeting  in  the 
spring  of  1858,  over  four  hundred  souls  were  added 
to  the  church  by  baptism,  and  many  others  by 
letter. 

The  labors  of  Dr.  T.  as  Evangelist  to  the  soldiers 
were  pre-eminently  successful.  He  usually  preached 
to  separate  brigades  ;  but  occasionally  he  preached  to 
a  union' of  two  or  more  brigades.  On  one  occasion  he 
preached  to  a  whole  Division — the  Division  of  General 
Claiborne — together  with  portions  of  the  brigades  of 
other  Divisions  in  the  vicinity.  Probably  not  less 
than  six  thousand  soldiers  heard  the  gospel  on  that 
memorable  occasion  from  his  lips.  The  subject  was 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  185 

THE  GENERAL  JUDGMENT.  The  soldiers  were  then  in 
constant  expectation  of  an  attack  by  Sherman's  forces  ; 
and  the  most  profound  attention  was  given  by  the  vast 
crowd  to  the  solemn  words  that  fell  from  the  lips  of 
the  preacher  on  that  holy  day.  At  the  close  of  the 
sermon,  over  eighty  converted  soldiers  were  buried 
with  their  Lord  in  baptism,  by  himself  and  other 
ministers  present,  in  a  clear  and  beautiful  creek  ad- 
jacent to  the  place  of  preaching.  The  army  hud  not 
then  broken  up  their  winter  quarters  at  Dalton,  Ga. 
On  the  following  Wednesday  about  sixty  more  soldiers 
were  baptized  at  the  same  place.  Before  the  coming 
of  another  Sunday,  the  encampment  was  broken  up, 
and  the  soldiers  were  thrown  into  line  of  battle.  On 
the  next  Sunday  afternoon,  Sherman  pushed  his  forces 
through  one  of  the  gaps  in  the  ridge  above  Dalton ; 
and  then  the  fighting  began  anew.  Many  of  our  noble 
braves,  who  had  been  so  recently  baptized,  fell  in  the 
battles  between  Dalton  and  Atlanta  ;  but  they  died  in 
the  triumphs  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  we  have  every 
reason  to  believe  that  they  went  up  to  enjoy  their  rest 
and  their  reward  in  heaven. 

Finding  it  impossible  to  hold  protracted  meetings 
now  with  the  soldiers,  Dr.  T.  returned  to  his  home  in 
Mississippi. 

Soon  after  his  return  to  Mississippi,  he  was  chosen, 
with  three  other  brethren,  viz :  Elders  J,  R.  Graves, 
D.  E.  Burns,  and  J.  T.  Freeman,  to  canvass  the  State 
in  the  interest  of  '%THK  ORPHANS'  HOME  OF  THE 
STATE  OF  MISSISSIPPI."  This  institution  had  recently 


186  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

been  inaugurated  for  the  support  and  education  of 
the  dependent  children  of  our  deceased  soldiers.  He 
had  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  organization  of  this 
humane  institution,  and  he  cherished  the  liveliest  inter- 
est in  its  success.  The  State  was  set  off  in  districts 
to  the  several  agents  ;  and  in  the  brief  period  of  three 
months,  Dr.  T.  had  raised  in  cash  and  reliable  pledges 
in  his  district  over  $25,000  for  the  institution.  But 
a  considerable  amount  of  furniture,  clothing,  provi- 
sion, etc.,  were  necessary  before  the  HOME  could  be 
opened  for  the  reception  of  the  suffering  children. 
These  it  seemed  impossible  to  procure  in  sufficient 
quantities,  without  going  North  to  obtain  them.  Ac- 
cordingly it  was  determined  by  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
at  once  to  make  an  effort  to  obtain  the  consent  of  both 
the  Confederate  and  Federal  governments,  to  allow 
them  to  exchange  cotton  for  whatever  they  needed  to 
furnish  the  HOME.  The  scheme  was  well  conceived. 
Cotton  was  then  offered  to  the  agents  of  the  Board,  in 
any  quantities,  at  sixty  cents  a  pound,  in  Confederate 
money ;  and  it  was  selling,  at  the  same  time,  in  New 
York,  for  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  a  pound,  in  green 
backs.  Now,  it  was  apparent,  that  if  the  propos- 
ed plan  could  be  carried  into  execution,  and  they 
could  effect  an  arrangement  with  the  respective  gov- 
ernments, by  which  they  might  be  able  to  carry  cotton 
North,  and  bring  goods,  furniture,  and  all  that  they 
needed,  South,  they  could  by  a  single  shipment  not 
only  meet  their  immediate  wants,  but  go  very  far  also 
towards  securing  a  liberal  endowment  for  their  cherish- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  187 

ed  institution.  Knowing  that  Dr.  T.  was  well  ac- 
•quainted  with 'President  Davis,  and  Gen.  Breckenridge, 
his  Secretary  of  War;  and,  as  a  former  resident  of 
Springfield,  Ills.,  and  subsequently  of  Washington 
City,  he  was  also  well  acquainted  with  President  Lin- 
coln, and  other  dignitaries  of  the  Federal  Government, 
he  was  asked  if  he  thought  the  proposed  measure  was 
practicable.  With  a  full  knowledge  of  all  the  difficul- 
ties to  be  encountered  in  the  undertaking,  he  said  he 
thought,  by  proper  zeal  and  suitable  diplomacy,  it 
might  be  accomplished.  The  question  was  then  pro- 
pounded to  him,  "Will  you  undertake  to  consummate 
this  measure?"  And  such  was  his  sympathy  for  the 
suffering  children  that,  notwithstanding  all  the  difficul- 
ties and  dangers  incident  to  the  undertaking,  he  was 
constrained  to  accept  the  appointment,  and  thus  en- 
deavor to  make  the  institution  a  complete  success. 
Accordingly,  as  soon  as  he  could  make  arrangements 
for  leaving  home,  and  without  a  dollar  of  United 
States  money  furnished  him  by  the  Board,  he  started 
on  his  journey.  An  arrangement  with  parties,  who  de- 
sired him  to  transact  some  business  for  them  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  secured  fifty  dollars  in  greenbacks  ; 
and  with  that,  together  with  a  large  amount  of  Con- 
federate notes,  he  determined,  if  possible,  to  effect 
the  object  of  his  mission.  He  had  to  go  by  the  way 
of  Mobile,  Montgomery  and  Macon,  the  railroads  on 
other  routes  being  broken  up.  At  Macon  he  met 
Judge  Irwin,  who  informed  him  that  he  could  give 
him  a  seat  iu  his  rockaway  from  Milledgeville  to 


188  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Washington,  Ga.  This  was  most  timely,  as  Sherman's 
recent  passage  through  Georgia  had  caused  perfect 
desolation  in  all  his  track.  Accordingly  they  left 
Milledgeville  soon  after  dinner  one  day,  taking  with 
them  provision  to  carry  them  over  the  desolate  region. 
The  first  night  was  spent  at  the  dwelling  of  a  formerly 
well-to-do  planter,  who  gave  them  a  good  bed,  but 
told  them  he  could  not  feed  them.  The  next  da}'  car- 
ried them  over  the  region  of  desolation  and  brought 

o  o 

them  out  of  Sherman's  track,  and  then  they  found 
comfortable  accommodations,  both  for  themselves  and 
for  their  stock.  The  third  day's  travel  brought  them 
to  the  home  of  the  accommodating  Judge.  The  night 
was  spent  by  Dr.  T.  with  his  old  friends,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Tupper  and  his  family,  and  early  next  morning  ar- 
rangements were  made  to  get  him  over  to  the  Colum- 
bia and  Greenville  Railroad.  On  his  arrival  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  railroad,  he  learned  that  Sherman  had 
already  destroyed  Columbia,  and  was  then  on  his  deso- 
lating march  towards  Virginia.  Instead  of  being  able, 
as  he  had  expected,  to  take  the  railroads,  via  Colum- 
bia, Charlotte,  etc.,  to  Richmond,  he  was  compelled 
to  go  by  the  way  of  Greenville,  S.  C.,  and  thence  by 
private  conveyance — sometimes  with  mule  and  buggy, 
sometimes  by  carriage,  and  sometimes  on  horse-back — 
first  to  Spartanburg ;  thence  to  Limestone  Springs : 
and  thence  to  Shelby,  N.  C.  Everywhere  along  his 
journey  he  met  with  old  acquaintances  and  warm  per- 
sonal friends,  who  did  everything  in  their  power  to 
facilitate  his  progress.  Some  six  miles  beyond  Shelby, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  189 

he  struck  the  railroad  leading  to  Charlotte.  On  his 
way  to  Charlotte,  he  fell  in  with  Gen.  Joseph  E. 
Johnson,  who  was  going  down  to  resume  the  command 
of  our  forces,  then  concentrating  in  North  Carolina,  to 
intercept,  if  possible,  the  march  of  Sherman  towards 
Virginia.  But  it  was  too  late,  as  he  expressed  his 
fears  at  the  time,  to  retrieve  the  looses  occasioned  by 
the  ill-timed  changes  which  had  been  made  before 
Atlanta . 

On  his  arrival  at  Charlotte,  Dr.  T.  found  that  a 
large  force  was  at  work  in  changing  the  gauge  of  the 
North  Carolina  Road,  in  order  that  the  stock  on  the 
South  Carolina  Road  might  be  removed  out  of  the 
track  of  Sherman  ;  and  it  was  supposed  that  he  would 
find  no  chance  of  getting  on  from  that  point  towards 
Richmond  for  several  days.  He  soon  fell  in  with  the 
Superintendent,  however,  who  kindly  consented  to 
take  him  as  far  as  the  cars  were  running  on  the  new 
gauge.  Arriving  at  the  terminus  after  dark,  he  was 
compelled  to  walk  about  a  mile,  on  the  railroad  track, 
and  carry  his  carpet-bag  in  his  hand,  in  order  to  ob- 
tain accommodations  for  the  night.  At  a  farm-house 
near  the  starting  point  the  next  morning  he  was  kind- 
ly entertained,  and  no  compensation  would  be  taken 
by  his  generous  host.  Early  the  next  morning  he 
took  the  cars  for  Greensboro,  N.  C.,  and  thence  to 
Richmond,  Va.  Three  full  weeks  were  occupied  in 
making  the  trip  from  Mississippi  to  Richmond,  and 
the  journey  was  attended  with  great  exposure  and 
fatigue.  There  are  very  few  who  would  have  encoun- 


1  90  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

tercel  and  overcome  so  many  formidable  difficulties,  as 
those  which  beset  the  journey  of  Dr.  Teasdale. 

On  his  arrival  in  Richmond,  he  lost  no  time  in 
securing  an  interview  with  President  Davis,  and  in 
explaining  to  him  fully  the  nature  of  his  mission. 
The  President  warmly  approved  the  undertaking,  and 
sent  his  private  secretary  to  introduce  Dr.  T.  to  the 
heads  of  several  departments  of  the  government, 
with  whom  the  business  was  to  be  transacted.  The 
secretary  was  also  instructed  to  request  them  to  give 
special  attention  to  Dr.  T.,  as  his  personal  friend,  and 
as  a  citizen  of  his  own  state.  This  secured  him  an  im- 
mediate interview  with  the  secretaries  of  the  different 
departments,  without  waiting  for  his  turn,  and  greatly 
facilitated  the  transaction  of  his  business  in  Rich- 
mond. 

During  his  necessary  stay  in  Richmond,  he  was 
twice  called  upon  to  open  the  morning  session  of  the 
Confederate  Congress  by  prayer,  and  he  received 
marked  attention  and  courtesy  from  his  numerous 
friends  in  that  body.  They  bade  him  a  hearty  God- 
speed in  his  important  mission. 

Matters  having  been  satisfactorily  arranged  in  Rich- 
mond, his  next  object  was  to  get  on  to  Washington  as 
speedily  as  possible.  The  question  wras  whether  he 
should  attempt  to  get  a  pass  from  Gen.  Grant,  or  run 
the  risk  of  getting  through  to  Washington  without  a 
pass.  It  was  finally  concluded  that  an  application  to 
Gen.  Grant  for  a  pass  would  be  attended  with  con- 
siderable delay,  at  best;  and  then,  after  all,  it  might 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  191 

possibly  be  denied ;  and  therefore  it  was  thought  best 
to  make  an  effort  to  get  along  without  any  pass.  Ac- 
cordingly he  set  out  from  Richmond  on  Monday  morn- 
ing, and  reached  Washington  the  next  Saturday  night. 
This  trip  was  an  eventful  one.  He  went  on  the 
Richmond  and  Fredericksburg  Railroad  to  a  point  some 
thirty  miles  below  Fredericksburg,  where  he  took  a 
hack  to  a  place  on  the  Potomac  river,  opposite  St. 
Mary's  County,  Maryland.  The  fare  from  Rich- 
mond to  this  point  was  $300  in  Confederate  money. 
Stopping  with  a  Southern  sympathizer  about  twenty- 
four  hours,  he  gave  his  host  thirty  dollars  in  green- 
back notes  to  be  taken  across  the  Potomac.  This, 
considering  there  were  three  other  passengers,  was 
thought  to  be  pretty  good  pay  for  one  night's  work. 
The  river  at  that  point  was  seven  miles  wide,  and 
the  channel  was  frequently  quite  rough.  After  night- 
fall, they  set  out  to  effect  a  crossing.  Of  course  this 
was  required  to  be  done  with  very  great  caution. 
With  a  negro  and  a  white  man  as  oarsmen,  and  four 
passengers  in  a  common  skiff,  and  with  the  troubled 
waves  occasionally  dashing  into  their  little  boat,  they 
effected  the  crossing  of  the  channel  at  considerable 
risk.  But  when  this  was  done,  and  they  were  making 
for  the  Maryland  shore,  to  the  great  consternation  of 
the  oarsmen,  and  the  no  little  annoyance  of  the 
passengers,  it  Was  found  that  a  formidable  gun-boat 
was  lying  directly  in  their  course  ;  and  that  they  were 
already,  perhaps,  within  range  of  its  heavy  guns. 
The  oarsmen  were  so  alarmed  that  they  insisted  on  an 


192  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

immediate  retreat ;  and  no  advice  or  entreaties  could 
prevail  on  them  to  make  an  effort  to  get  out  of  reach 
of  the  gun-boat,  and  make  a  circuit  for  the  Maryland 
shore.  The  fellow  passengers  of  Dr.  T.  were  persons 
who  were  in  the  employment  of  the  Confederate  Gov- 
ernment as  engravers,  and  they  were  making  an  effort 
to  visit  their  friends  in  Baltimore.  They  also  dreaded 
a  capture  ;  and  nothing  would  do  but  that  they  must  re- 
cross  the  river,  and  return  to  the  Virginia  side.  This 
was  effected  at  still  greater  ri.sk  than  that  of  the  first 
crossing,  the  channel  being  now  very  rough. 

The  next  night,  unfortunately,  the  fog  on  the  river 
was  so  dense  that  crossing  was  impossible.  A  delay 
of  another  twenty-four  hours  was  therefore  unavoid- 
able. The  next  night  afterwards,  however,  the 
weather  cleared  up,  the  wind  lulled,  and  everything 
seemed  to  be  propitious  ;  and  they  again  set  out  for 
the  Maryland  shore.  They  then  took  a  new  route, 
and  crossed  the  Potomac  where  it  was  nine  miles  wide, 
in  the  hope  of  avoiding  the  dreaded  gun-boat 
altogether.  After  a  tedious  passage  across  the  channel 
of  the  river,  attended  with  much  risk,  and  when  they 
were  within  about  a  mile  of  the  Maryland  shore,  to 
their  great  annoyance  again,  a  gun-boat  was  heard 
steaming  up  the  river,  directly  in  their  course.  The 
ferrymen  were  again  alarmed,  and  began  to  talk  of 
another  retreat.  But  Dr.  T.  assumed  command  of  the 
boat,  and  all  consented  to  obey  his  instructions.  He 
then  ordered  all  on  board  to  lie  down  in  the  skiff  and 
remain  perfectly  quiet  until  the  gun-boat  had  passed. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  193 

This  plan  seemed  to  be  working  most  admirably  ;  and 
although  they  were  lying  not  far  from  the  track  of 
the  gun-boat,  it  was  passing  on  its  way  without  notic- 
ing them.  But  just  as  a  sense  of  security  began  to  be 
felt,  it  was  observed  that  a  large  transport  was  steam- 
ing down  the  river  directly  on  their  track.  The 
question  now  was,  "What  is  to  be  done  in  this  emer- 
gency?" Retaining  command  of  the  little  craft,  Dr. 
T.  took  the  helm  himself,  and  ordered  both  ferrymen 
and  passengers  to  ply  the  oars  with  might  and  main. 
Handling  the  oars  quietly,  they  nevertheless  wielded 
them  with  peculiar  force.  The  little  craft  was  steered 
as  closely  in  rear  of  the  gun-boat  as  it  was  deemed 
safe  to  venture,  and  was  thus  put  far  enough  out  of 
the  track  of  the  transport  to  avoid  notice  from  that 
quarter.  So  they  were  neither  hurt  by  Chary bdis,  on 
the  one  hand,  nor  Scylla  on  the  other;  and  they 
reached  the  Maryland  shore  in  safety  about  10  o'clock 
on  that  ever  memorable  night. 

Now,  now  difficulties  arose  in  their  way.  There  was 
no  house  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  pi  ice  where 
they  landed  ;  and  not  knowing  exactly  where  they  were, 
nor  into  whose  hands  they  might  chance  to  fall,  whether 
friends  or  foes,  they  finally  struck  a  wagon  track,  and 
determined  to  follow  it,  in  the  hope  that  it  would  guide 
them  to  the  farm-house  of  some  friend  not  far  away. 
Their  expectations  were  realized,  in  this  regard,  and 
they  were  soon  kindly  admitted  into  the  dwelling  of  a 
genuine  Southern  sympathizer,  and  provided  with  com- 
fortable lodgings  for  the  night.  They  were  cautioned 


liU  KEMINISCENCKS  AND  INCIDENTS 

by  their  obliging  host,  not  to  keep  a  light  in  their 
chamber  any  longer  than  was  absolutely  necessary  to 
get  into  their  beds,  lest  it  should  attract  the  attention 
of  some  Federal  scouting  party,  that  might  perchance 
be  on  the  lookout  for  persons  from  Dixie  in  that  very 
neighborhood.  He  said  such  parties  often  came  to 
search  his  house  at  night. 

Having  enjoyed  an  undisturbed  and  refreshing  night's 
rest  and  a  good  breakfast,  they  set  out  for  the  home 
of  another  Southern  sympathizer,  seven  miles  distant. 
They  were  sent  those  seven  miles  by  their  obliging  host 
in  a  little  cart,  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  small  steers.  All 
his  valuable  horses  and  mules  had  been  carried  off  by 
Federal  soldiers  ;  and  this  was  the  only  conveyance  he 
could  furnish  his  guests.  Putting  their  carpet-sacks 
in  the  cart,  and  walking  and  riding  by  turns,  them- 
selves, they  reached  the  home  of  their  new  friend  in 
time  for  an  excellent  dinner. 

The  repast  being  over,  their  most  obliging  host  made 
arrangements  to  have  them  carried,  in  a  boat  of  his 
own,  across  a  frith  of  the  Potomac,  which  was  about 
two  miles  wide  by  a  direct  route,  but  nearly  three 
miles  by  the  route  they  took,  and  thus  enable^them 
to  get  on  to  Whitehall  that  night,  so  that  they  might 
take  the  stage  for  Washington  the  next  day.  And  for 
all  his  kindness  and  trouble  he  refused  all  compensa- 
tion. 

On  reaching  the  landing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
frith,  they  found  no  chance  of  obtaining  a  conveyance 
to  Whitehall  that  evening;  and  Dr.  T.'s  traveling  com- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  195 

panions,  being  young  men  and  in  vigorous  health,  de- 
termined to  walk  to  that  village — a  distance  of  some 
ten  miles — that  night. 

Dr.  T.,  desiring  to  take  the  stage  the  next  morning 
for  Washington,  struck  across  on  foot  to  a  village  on 
the  stage  route,  about  four  miles  distant  from  the  land- 
ing. The  winter  was  just  breaking  up,  and  the  roads 
in  that  section  were  then  very  muddy  ;  but  he  managed 
to  reach  the  village  just  about  the  time  the  sun  went 
down,  though  he  was  compelled  to  carry  his  carpet-bag 
in  his  hand,  containing  his  clothing,  etc.,  the  whole 
four  miles  through  the  mud.  He  experienced  no  se- 
rious inconvenience  from  the  fatigue,  and  enjoyed  a 
good  supper,  all  the  more,  from  having  taken  so  much 
vigorous  exercise. 

On  inquiry,  he  ascertained  that  that  was  the  night 
for  the  stage  to  come  down  from  Washington,  and  that 
it  would  return  the  next  day  to  that  city.  Imagine  his 
surprise,  however,  to  find  about  9  o'clock,  that  the 
driver  had  arrived  with  the  mail  on  horseback,  and 
that,  owing  to  the  wretched  condition  of  the  roads,  he 
had  left  his  coach  at  Whitehall,  a  distance  of  eight 
miles  above  that  point,  on  the  way  to  Washington. 
This  circumstance  created  a  new  exigency.  It  was 
now  Friday  night,  and  he  was  anxious  to  get  on  to 
Washington  before  Sunday.  He,  therefore,  instructed 
the  landlord  to  procure  for  him  the  use  of  a  horse  and 
saddle  in  the  morning,  ;ind  provide  a  small  boy  to  ride 
behind  him,  to  bring  back  the  horse  from  Whitehall. 
It  was  arranged  as  he  directed,  and  he  rode  to  White- 


19G  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

hall  the  next  morning,  in  company  with  the  driver,  or 
mail  carrier,  in  time  to  take  the  stage  for  Washington 
on  that  clay.  By  an  arrangement  with  the  driver  on 
the  way  to  Whitehall,  who  was,  by  the  way,  a  good 
Southern  man,  and  had  been  connected  with  the  Con- 
federate army,  it  was  understood  that  whosoever  else 
should  be  left,  Dr.  T.  should  have  a  seat  in  the  coach 
that  day  for  Washington.  Accordingly  he  secured  his 
seat,  though  several  others,  who  were  in  waiting  at 
Whitehall,  were  compelled  to  lie  over.  At  this  point 
he  procured  Post  Office  .stamps,  and  mailed  the  numer- 
ous letters  with  which  friends  in  Dixie  had  improperly 
cumbered  him.  Had  he  been  arrested,  those  letters 
might  have  occasioned  him  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
He  felt  greatly  relieved  when  he  had  gotten  rid  of  this 
annoyance. 

Considering  the  condition  of  the  roads,  the  ride  that 
day  was  rather  pleasant  than  otherwise.  The  weather 
was  comfortable,  and  the  vehicle,  being  an  open  spring 
wagon — the  roads  being  too  bad  for  the  stage  coach — 
afforded  a  fine  opportunity  for  observing  the  country. 
Nothing  of  special  interest  occurred  during  the  day  ; 
but  as  they  came  near  to  the  Anacosta,  or  Eastern 
Branch,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  bridge  over 
which  leads  directly  into  Washington,  the  driver  in- 
formed Dr.  T.  that  they  would  encounter  a  sentinel  at 
the  bridge.  It  was  now  after  8  o'clock,  and  all  pass- 
ing and  repassing  would  soon  be  prohibited  for  the 
night.  How  were  they  to  pass  that  sentinel,  was  now 
the  question  of  absorbing  interest  to  them.  There  was 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  197 

then  no  passenger  but  himself  in  the  vehicle  ;  the  others, 
not  daring  to  venture  so  near  to  Washington,  had  left 
the  stage  a  few  miles  back.  He,  therefore,  told  the 
driver  to  leave  it  to  him  to  manage  the  sentinel ;  and  at 
the  slightest  intimation  that  they  might  pass,  to  tap 
his  horses  with  the  whip,  and  go  along  at  once.  On 
their  arrival  at  the  bridge,  they  were  halted  by  the 
sentinel,  who,  on  going  up  to  the  vehicle,  inquired  of 
Dr.  T.,  very  sternly,  "Who  are  you?"  He  instantly 
replied,  in  rather  a  reproving  tone,  "  Who  am  I?  I 
expect  to  preach  in  Washington  to-morrow,  sir."  The 
sentinel,  looking  up  into  his  face  by  the  glare  of  the 
lamp,  and  seeing  his  white  locks,  replied,  "Well,  I 
presume  it  is  all  right."  In  an  instant  the  horses  felt 
the  tap  of  the  driver's  whip,  and  they  rode  into  the  city 
without  further  molestation. 

Putting  up  at  Willard's  Hotel,  it  was  soon  ascer- 
tained, by  some  of  his  old  friends,  that  Dr.  T.  was  in 
the  city ;  and  he  was  pressed  to  accept  the  hospitalities 
of  one  of  these  excellent  families.  And  during  the 
rest  of  his  stay  in  Washington,  he  was  handsomely 
entertained  by  Mr.  John  C.  Shafer  and  his  estimable 
lady,  at  their  own  happy  home.  Dr.  T.  had  baptized 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shafer  during  his  pastorate  in  Wash- 
ington . 

On  Monday  morning,  Dr.  T.  went  over  to  the 
"White  House,"  to  seek  an  interview  with  President 
Lincoln.  But  Congress  had  recently  adjourned,  and 
the  members  of  both  Houses  had  a  great  deal  of  busi- 
ness to  transact  with  the  President,  in  behalf  of  their 


198  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

constituents.     They  always  have  precedence   over  pri- 
vate citizens,     And   besides,  there  were  several  army 
officers  waiting  for  an  interview  with  the  President,  to 
obtain  instructions  in  relation  to  their  respective  posi- 
tions and  duties  ;  and   they  also   had  precedence  over 
private  citizens.     The  members  of   the  Cabinet,  and 
the  Ministers   of   Foreign   Governments  have  prece- 
dence over  all  others.     The  press  of  business  with  the 
President   from   all   these  parties  was   so  great,  that 
although  Dr.  T.  went   every   day  to   the   President's 
mansion,  he  failed,  as  did  all  other  private  citizens,  to 
obtain  an  interview  with  the  President   until   late  on 
Saturday  afternoon  ;  and  then  an  interview  was  granted 
by  special   favor  only.     Finding  that  he  was  likely  to 
be  much  longer  delayed,  if   he  waited  for  his  turn  for 
an  interview  with  the  President,  he  addressed  a  note  to 
Mr.  Lincoln,  in  which  he  informed   him  that  he  was  a 
resident  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  but  was  in  Wash- 
ington at  that  time  on  a  mission  of  mercy ;  and  that  he 
would  be  thankful  for  an  interview  with  the  President 
at  his  earliest  convenience.     Mr.  Lincoln  immediately 
sent  the  messenger  back  to  invite  him  into  his  recep- 
tion room.    Finding  the  President  engaged  in  business 
with  parties   admitted  before   he  went   in,  he  waited 
until  the  last  one  was  served.     During  his  delay  in  the 
reception  room,  President   Lincoln,  in   the   midst   of 
pressing  official   business,  as   usual,  stopped  to  relate 
two  amusing  anecdotes  to  his  auditors.     When  the  rest 
were   all   served,  and  Dr.  T.  was  left  alone  with  the 
President,  as  he  especially  desired   that   he  might  be, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  199 

he  arose  immediately  and  advanced  towards  the  Presi- 
dent. Mr.  Lincoln  recognized  him  at  once,  and 
advanced  with  hand  extended  to  greet  him.  The  re- 
ception was  cordial  and  unostentatious.  The  usual 
salutations  were  passed,  and  then  Dr.  T.  immediately 
explained  to  the  President  the  object  of  his  visit,  and 
handed  to  him  the  petition  of  the  Board  whose  inter- 
ests he  represented.  Mr.  Lincoln  read  the  entire  doc- 
ument, and  then,  turning  it  over,  he  read  on  the  back 
of  it  the  cordial  endorsement  placed  upon  it  by  Presi- 
dent Davis.  After  having  read  the  entire  paper,  to- 
gether with  the  endorsement  of  President  Davis,  Mr. 
Lincoln  turned  to  Dr.  T.  and  said,  in  a  very  pleasant 
manner,  "You  ask  me  to  give  you  relief  in  a  case  of 
distress,  just  such  as  we  have  been  striving  to  pro- 
duce." And  then  smiling  he  added,  "We  want  to  bring 
you  rebels  into  such  straits,  that  you  will  be  willing 
to  give  up  this  wicked  rebellion."  Dr.  T.,  having 
known  President  Lincoln  quite  intimately  in  former 
days,  replied  in  familiar  style:  "Mr.  President,  if  it 
were  the  big  people  alone  that  were  concerned  in  this 
matter,  I  should  not  be  here,  sir.  They  might  fight  it 
out  to  the  bitter  end,  without  my  pleading  for  their 
relief.  But,  sir,  when  it  is  the  hapless  little  ones  that 
are  involved  in  this  suffering,  who,  of  course,  had 
nothing  to  do  in  bringing  about  the  present  unhappy 
conflict  between  the  sections,  I  think  it  is  a  very 
different  case,  and  one  deserving  of  sympathy  and 
commiseration."  To  this  the  President  instantly  re- 
plied :  "That  is  true;  and  I  must  do  something  for 


200  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

you."  He  then  said,  after  a  moment's  thought  upon 
the  subject;  "Well,  I  will  authorize  Gen.  Can  by  to 
grant  the  petition  of  your  Board,  provided  it  does  not 
interfere  with  any  of  his  military  movements.  I  will 
not  order  it  to  be  done;  for  if  I  order  it  to  be  done,  it 
must  be  done  without  any  regard  to  his  military  op- 
erations. And  if  you  desire  me  to  do  anything  more 
than  this,  you  may  leave  the  papers  with  me  until 
Monday  morning,  when  I  will  see  you  again,  and  let 
you  know  what  I  can  further  do  for  you."  Dr.  T. 
replied  at  once  :  "That  is  enough,  Mr.  President.  I 
do  not  ask  for  any  interference  whatever  with  the 
military  movements  of  your  armies.  I  am  satisfied, 
that  with  the  authority  which  you  propose  to  confer, 
I  can  accomplish  my  benevolent  purposes  in  behalf  of 
our  suffering  children,  and  that  is  all  that  I  now  de- 
sire." The  President  then  took  the  petition,  and  wrote 
his  endorsement  on  its  back,  directly  under  that  of 
President  Davis,  and  thus  conferred  the  authority 
which  was  desired. 

Dr.  T.  had  previously  seen  and  conversed  with 
Gen.  Banks  on  the  subject  of  his  mission ;  and  as  he 
was  appointed  to  succeed  Gen.  Canby  in  the  command 
of  the  New  Orleans  and  Mobile  Districts,  he  had  re- 
ceived the  assurance  from  Gen.  Banks  that  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  managing  the  matter.  "The 
President,"  said  he,  "will  doubtless  authorize  the  pro- 
posed arrangement,  and  you  and  I  can  easily  manage 
the  details  of  the  business."  Dr.  T.  had  enjoyed  a 
personal  acquaintance  with  Gen.  Banks,  while  a  re- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  201 

sident  in  Washington ;  and  that  acquaintance  proved 
advantageous  to  him  now  that  this  important  measure 
was  to  be  effected  under  his  jurisdiction.  It  was  this 
assurance  of  Gen.  Banks,  that  with  the  simple  per- 
mission of  the  President,  the  proposed  measure  could 
be  carried  into  effect,  by  Dr.  T.  and  himself,  that  in- 
duced Dr.  T.  to  say  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  so  promptly,  that 
the  authority  which  he  proposed  to  confer  in  the  prem- 
ises, was  all  that  he  asked. 

At  the  close  of  his  interview  with  President  Lin- 
coln, Dr.  T.  informed  him  that  he  was  there  without 
a  pass,  and  would  be  glad  if  he  would  be  kind  enough 
to  furnish  him  one.  The  President  then  asked  him 
which  way  he  wished  to  return.  He  replied  that  he 
thought  he  should  prefer  to  return  via  Saint  Louis 
and  Memphis.  Mr.  Lincoln  then  took  a  card,  and 
said,  "I  will  allow  you  to  pass  our  lines  wherever  you 
please,  in  returning  South."  And  as  he  began  to 
write  the  pass  Dr.  T.  said  to  him  :  "Mr.  President,  I 
should  like  to  take  some  baggage  with  me  on  my  re- 
turn, if  you  have  no  objection."  Mr.  Lincoln  then 
paused,  and  very  pleasantly  remarked  to  him,  "Now, 
you  bother  me  again.  How  much  baggage  would  you 
like  to  take  with  you?"  "Well,  Mr.  President," 
said  he,  "I  should  like  to  take  a  good  deal,  Sir.  Your 
folks  have  made  some  things  rather  scarce  with  us  down 
South."  "O,  well/'  said  the  President,  "I  will  write 
the  pass  so  as  to  suit  you,  I  reckon."  He  then 
wrote  : 

"Pass    the    Rev.   Thomas  Teasdale  through    our 


202  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

lines      going      South,     with      convenient      baggage. 

A.  LINCOLN." 

As  the  President  handed  the  pass  to  him,  it  was  ac- 
cepted with  thanks.  It  was  really  intended  to  allow 
him  to  pass  wherever  he  pleased,  and  to  carry  with 
him  as  much  baggage  as  he  desired.  A  lady  relative 
of  the  President,  residing  at  the  South,  had  not  long 
before  obtained  a  similar  pass  ;  and  it  was  said,  that 
she  carried  with  her  sixteen  large  trunks,  and  insisted 
that  it  was  only  "convenient  baggage.'*  Having  such 
a  commentary  of  the  phrase  "convenient  baggage," 
it  left  him  as  wide  a  margin  as  he  could  reasonably 
desire. 

When  he  returned  to  his  quarters,  after  having  con- 
cluded his  business  with  President  Lincoln,  he  observ- 
ed to  his  excellent  host  and  his  lady,  that  he  had 
succeeded  in  getting  the  two  Presidents  nearer  to- 
gether than  they  had  been  for  the  last  four  years.  He 
then  exhibited  to  them  the  back  of  the  Petition  of  his 
Board,  on  which  was  placed  the  endorsement  of  Presi- 
dent Davis,  in  his  own  hand-writing,  and  directly 
under  it  was  that  of  President  Lincoln,  written  also 
by  himself.  The  endorsements  were  as  follows,  viz  : 

"Ref'd.  to  the  Sec'y.  of  Treasury,  and  the  Sec'y. 
of  War  for  conference  with  Rev.  Dr.  Teasdale,  in 
connection  with  the  praiseworthy  effort  in  which  he 
is  engaged. 

JEFFER.  DAVIS. 

3  March,  '65." 

"Gen.   Canby  is   authorized,   but   not   ordered,  to 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  203 

give  Rev.  Mr.  Teasdale  such   facilities  in   the  within 
matters,  as  he,  in  his  discretion,  may  see  fit. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

March  18,  1865." 

The  document  containing  these  endorsements  is  re- 
tained by  Pr.  T.  as  a  remembrancer  tof  the  hardships 
and  dangers  to  which  he  was  subjected  in  procuring 
them  ;  and  it  will  be  transmitted  as  an  heirloom  to  his 
posterity. 

While  Dr.  T.  was  in  Washington,  waiting  impa- 
tiently to  obtain  an  interview  with  Mr.  Lincoln,  and 
wishing  to  be  as  retired  as  possible  until  that  inter- 
view was  secured,  to  his  great  annoyance,  there  ap- 
peared one  day  in  a  prominent  city  paper — THE  EVEN- 
ING STAR — a  brief  article  to  this  import :  "The  Rev. 
Dr.  Teasdale,  formerly  a  prominent  pastor  in  this  city, 
is  here  from  the  South  to  solicit  aid  for  the  destitute 
and  suffering  women  and  children  of  Richmond." 
This  brief  notice  was  immediately  caught  up,  and  re- 
published  in  a  large  portion  of  the  papers  throughout 
the  North,  with  varying  comments,  but  generally  in 
terms  of  severe  censure,  that  Dr.  T.  should  be  in 
Washington  for  any  such  purpose  and  that  he  should 
use  his  influence  in  any  way  to  promote  the  welfare  of 
the  Southern  people,  while  they  were  engaged,  in 
what  they  called  a  most  wicked  rebellion.  He 
felt  greatly  relieved  when  he  found  that  the  Pres- 
ident's mind  had  not  been  unfavorably  affected 
by  these  newspaper  squibs ;  and  that  the  object 
of  his  wearisome  and  perilous  journey  to  Washing- 


204  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

ton,  had  at  length  been  so  satisfactorily  effected. 
Having  completed  his  business  in  Washington,  Dr. 
T.  at  once  set  out  for  Mississippi.  Having  business 
to  transact  in  New  York  for  some  friends  at  home,  he 
took  that  city  in  his  route.  Thence  he  went  out 
into  his  native  County,  in  New  Jersey,  a  distance  of 
some  sixty  miles  from  New  York,  to  see  his  aged 
mother,  and  other  endeared  relatives  ;  thence  to  Al- 
bany, and  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  to  see  his  wife's  rela- 
tives ;  thence  to  Cleveland,  Ohio  ;  thence  to  Springfield, 
Illinois,  where  his  oldest  son  and  his  family  resided; 
and  thence  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  visit  his  two  brothers 
and  their  families  and  numerous  other  relatives  resid- 
ing in  that  city.  Just  as  he  left  his  son's  residence  in 
Springfield,  which  was  before  day-light  in  the  morn- 
ning,  he  learned  that  Gen.  Lee  had  surrendered,  but 
he  doubted  the  truth  of  the  rumor.  On  his  arrival  at 
St.  Louis,  however,  the  intelligence  was  confirmed; 
and  immediately  he  felt  that  the  sun  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy  had  gone  down  forever.  His  visits  with 
his  friends  and  relatives  all  along  his  route  were  very 
short,  as  he  was  in  a  hurry  to  get  home,  in  order  to 
consummate,  as  speedly  as  possible,  the  plan  for  reliev- 
ing the  suffering  children  of  his  adopted  state.  But 
all  along  his  extended  route,  he  was  met  by  crowds  of 
Southern  sympathizers,  and  anti-war  Democrats,  whose 
demonstrations  of  interest  in  the  object  of  his  visit  to 
the  Capitol  City,  were  very  marked  and  earnest.  In- 
deed, he  feared  sometimes  that  he  might  be  suspected 
of  some  political  maneuver,  owing  to  the  expressions 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  205 

of  interest  in  himself  and  in  his  object,  so  extensively 
manifested  all  along  his  route.  His  stay  in  Saint 
Louis  was  shortened  considerably  on  that  account. 

On  his  arrival  at  Cairo,  Dr.  T.  found  that  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  base  assassination  of  President  Lincoln, 
and  the  vile  attempt  to  murder  several  members  of  his 
cabinet,  had  just  been  received,  and  the  people  were 
busily  employed  in  draping  their  stores  and  dwellings 
and  public  buildings,  with  the  emblems  of  deep  sor- 
row and  unaffected  mourning.  Finding  that  Gen. 
Banks  was  there,  and  that  he  was  intending  to  address 
the  citizens  on  the  death  of  the  President  in  a  few 
minutes,  Dr.  T.  went  ashore  and  attended  the  meet- 
ing. The  address  was  much  more  temperate  than 
might  have  been  expected  on  an  occasion  of  such  out- 
gushing  public  indignation.  Gen.  Banks  acquitted 
himself  well ;  and  the  vast  crowds  conducted  them- 
selves with  becoming  solemnity  and  decorum,  through- 
out all  the  exercises. 

Finding  that  Gen.  Banks  was  on  his  way  to  relieve 
Gen.  Canby,  and  that  he  was  going  do\\n  the  river 
that  evening,  Dr.  T.  took  passage  on  the  same  steamer 
to  Memphis,  in  order  that  he  might  consummate  ar- 
rangements with  him  in  relation  to  the  exchange  of 
cotton  for  the  supplies  needed  for  the  ORPHANS' 
HOME.  Gen.  Banks  reiterated  his  entire  willingness 
to  allow  the  arrangement  to  be  carried  into  effect,  and 
said  the  authority  of  the  President  which  had  been 
obtained,  was  all  that  was  necessary  in  the  premises. 

On   his   arrival   at   Memphis,  Dr.    T.    found  Gen. 


206  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Washburne  in  command  in  that  city.  He  had  known 
the  General,  as  a  member  of  Congress,  while  he  was 
a  resident  of  Washington  City ;  and  he  received  at  his 
hand  a  very  cordial  greeting.  After  stating  the  ob- 
ject of  his  recent  visit  to  Washington,  and  exhibiting 
his  pass  from  the  then  murdered  President,  he  told 
Gen.  W.  that  lie  had  some  baggage  with  him ;  that  a 
part  of  it  consisted  of  gifts  from  a  deceased  daughter 
to  her  mother,  and  all  the  other  members  of  the  family ; 
and  as  he  could  assure  him  that  there  was  nothing  con- 
traband in  his  trunks,  he  would  be  thankful  if  he 
would  order  the  baggage  to  be  passed  without  exam- 
ination by  the  sentinels.  The  General  cheerfully  ac- 
quiesced in  this  request,  and  issued  an  order  at  once 
to  pass  his  baggage  without  examination.  Much  an- 
noyance from  rough  and  impertinent  sentinels  was 
thus  entirely  avoided. 

From  Memphis  Dr.  T.  went  by  hired  conveyance  to 
Hernando,  Miss.  ;  and  thence,  in  like  manner,  to 
Senatobia  ;  and  thence  by  cars  to  Grenada.  At  the 
latter  place  he  completed  the  arrangements  with  the 
cotton  agent  of  the  Confederate  government,  for  the 
sending  out  of  the  cotton  according  to  the  agreement 
which  had  been  consummated  with  both  governments. 
This  finished  the  work  of  his  mission ;  and  nothing 
now7  remained  to  be  done,  but  to  send  the  cotton  to 
New  York,  and  procure  the  necessary  supplies  for  the 
HOME.  He,  therefore,  hastened  to  make  his  report  to 
the  Board,  and  assist  in  carrying  the  arrangements 
thus  consummated  into  immediate  effect.  But  alas! 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  207 

it  was  now  too  late.  The  surrender  of  Gen.  R.  E. 
Lee,  and  the  capitulation  of  the  Army  of  the  West, 
soon  afterwards,  made  it  certain  that  Gen.  Joseph  E. 
Johnson  would  be  compelled  very  soon  to  succumb, 
and  that  the  end  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  was  at 
hand.  Under  this  state  of  things,  not  a  pound  of 
cotton  could  be  purchased  with  Confederate  money  ; 
and  this  grand  scheme  for  supplying  the  wants  of  the 
suffering  children,  and  placing  the  HOME  on  a  per- 
manent basis,  fell  to  the  ground.  And  all  this  resulted 
from  being  a  little  too  late  in  making  the  foregoing 
arrangements.  If  Dr.  T.  had  been  sent  on  his  mission 
to  Richmond  and  Washington  only  three  months 
sooner,  the  success  of  the  undertaking  would  have 
been  certain  and  glorious.  But  as  it  was,  the  antici- 
pated crisis  soon  came.  Gen.  Johnson  capitulated  to 
Sherman,  and  the  cause  of  Southern  Independence  was 
lost  forever. 


208  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER  X. 

Then  the  question  at  once  arose  in  the  minds  of  the 
members  of  the  Board  of  the  HOME:  "What  is  to 
become  of  our  cherished  institution?"  It  was  serious- 
ly doubted  whether  it  was  possible,  under  this  new 
state  of  affairs,  to  carry  out  the  benevolent  project. 
The  immense  fortunes  of  our^  people  had  been  swept 
away  as  with  the  besom  of  destruction.  The  country 
was  terribly  devasted  and  utterly  impoverished.  Our 
people  generally  were  depressed  and  disheartened.  A 
pall  of  impenetrable  gloom  hung  over  the  whole  South. 
It  was  indeed  a  time  to  try  men's  souls.  But  to  give 
up  the-project  now,  would  be  to  acknowledge  an  in- 
glorious defeat,  not  only,  but  also  to  leave  the  hap- 
less, dependent  children  of  our  fallen  braves  totally 
unprovided  for.  This  was  an  evil  too  great  to  be  incur- 
red by  allowing  the  enterprise  to  fail ;  and  Dr.  T.,  in 
order  to  reassure  the  wavering  confidence  of  his  fellow 
members  of  the  Board  in  the  success  of  the  under- 
taking, and  inspirit  them  to  go  forward  with  the  great 
work,  offered  to  lay  his  own  little  all  upon  the  altar 
of  the  enterprise,  and  thus  stake  his  private  fortune 
upon  its  success.  At  that  very  meeting  of  the  Board 
it  was  determined  to  go  forward,  and  make  a  vigorous 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  209 

effort  to  sustain  the  institution.  At  the  same  time, 
Dr.  T.  was  appointed  General  Financial  Agent  of  the 
Board,  to  endeavor  to  carry  into  effect  the  benevolent 
objects  comtemplated  in  the  organization  of  the  HOME. 
This  wtis  a  very  responsible  position,  and  involved,  of 
necessity,  a  vast  amount  of  earnest  and  self-denying 
toil.  But  with  the  same  devotion  to  the  interests  of 
the  HOME  which  had  characterized  his  conduct  in  rela- 
tion to  this  humane  institution  from  the  beginning,  he 
accepted  the  appointment,  and  entered  at  once  upon 
the  important  duties  of  his  office,  with  a  zeal  that 
knew  no  flagging,  and  an  energy  that  soon  gave  prom- 
ise of  complete  success. 

A  debt  of  over  seven  thousand  dollars,  in  green- 
backs, was  still  due  on  the  premises ;  and  everything 
necessary  to  furnish  and  stock  the  HOME  was  to  be 
provided  mainly  by  the  exertions  of  the  General 
Financial  Agent.  In  the  course  of  a  few  months,  the 
debt  was  paid  off;  and  in  a  few  months  afterwards, 
sufficient  furniture,  clothing,  provision,  stock,  etc.,  had 
been  secured  to  justify  the  Board  in  opening  the  in- 
stitution. The  late  Prof.  S.  S.  Granbury  was  elect- 
ed General  Superintendent  of  the  HOME,  and  im- 
mediately removed  to  Lauderdale  Springs,  the  seat  of 
the  institution,  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  his  re- 
sponsible position.  He  proved  to  be,  as  was  antici- 
pated, "the  right  man  in  the  right  place."  Never 
was  an  institution  more  blessed,  in  this  regard,  than 
was  the  "Orphans'  Home  of  the  State  of  Mississippi." 
Under  the  judicious  and  efficient  management  of  Prof. 


210  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

Gran  bury,  and  a  corps  of  able  co-workers  at  the 
institution,  and  the  untiring  labors  of  Dr.  T.,  and 
his  noble  coadjutors,  in  providing  food,  clothing,  etc., 
for  the  children  of  the  HOME,  the  institution  soon 
rose  to  a  degree  of  prosperity  that  attracted  the  at- 
tention, and  elicited  the  admiration  of  the  friends  of 
the  enterprise,  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  Over  two 
hundred  poor  children  were,  in  process  of  time,  ad- 
mitted to  the  benefits  of  the  HOME.  The  amount 
of  physicial  suffering,  mental  degradation  and  moral 
corruption  thus  prevented,  it  is  impossible  to  con- 
jecture; and  the  benefits  conferred  upon  the  dear 
children  by  suitable  care  of  their  persons  ;  the  proper 
cultivation  of  their  minds;  and  the  moral  and  relig- 
ious training  which  they  received  at  the  HOME,  can 
be  known  only  in  the  developments  of  the  last 
day. 

It  is  not  intended  to  enter  further  into  the  de- 
tails of  Dr.  T.'s  work  in  building  up  this  humane 
institution.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  he  devoted  more 
than  four  years  of  untiring  and  self-denying  toil,  in 
the  prime  of  his  ripened  manhood,  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  noble  charity.  It  is  conceded  that 
to  his  untiring  zeal,  and  his  indomitable  persever- 
ance the  institution  was  mainly  indebted  for  its  es- 
tablishment and  success.  If  this  were  the  only  work 
of  his  life,  it  ought  to  place  his  name  along  with 
those  of  .Howard,  and  Mueller,  and  Van  Meter,  and 
other  distinguished  philanthropists,  whose  lives  have 
been  devoted  to  the  work  of  providing  for  the  hap- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  '      211 

less  orphans  and  the  dependent  poor.  May  God  re- 
ward him  for  this  labor  of  love ! 

It  is  not  improper  to  state,  in  closing  this  account  of 
Dr.  T.'s  connection  with  the  Orphans'  Home  of  Mis- 
sissippi, that  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  necessary 
means  to  establish  and  support  this  institution  were 
obtained  in  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Missouri,  Ohio  and 
Maryland ;  and  large  donations  were  also  made  to  it 
by  liberal  individuals  in  many  of  the  Northern  cities 
and  towns;  and  particularly  by  the  people  of  New 
York  and  Chicago.  Many  of  the  Southern  States,  be- 
sides those  above  named,  aided  in  the  noble  work 
according  to  their  ability. 

In  the  summer  of  1869,  Dr.  T.  was  elected  Cor- 
responding Secretary  of  the  Sunday  School  Board  of 
the  Southern  Baptist  Convention.  This  Board,  though 
one  of  the  three  great  Boards  of  the  Convention,  had 
been  singularly  neglected  by  the  churches,  and  Sunday- 
schools,  and  individuals  within  the  bounds  of  its  opera- 
tions ;  and  it  was,  therefore,  in  a  very  depressed  con- 
dition at  that  time.  Indeed,  it  seemed  quite  prob- 
lematical whether,  by  any  effort,  it  could  be  made  a 
success.  After  mature  and  prayerful  deliberation,  and 
a  full  conference  with  the  Board,  then  located  in  Mem- 
phis, Dr.  T.  deemed  it  to  be  his  duty  to  accept  the 
appointment ;  and  on  the  15th  day  of  September,  of 
that  year,  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  new  posi- 
tion. To  this  work  he  brought  the  advantages  of  ripe 
experience ;  extensive  personal  acquaintance  with  his 
brethren  generally  throughout  the  South  ;  and  a  zeal 


212  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

and  perseverance  which  afforded  a  sufficient  guarantee 
of  success. 

During  the  3'ear  preceding  his  appointment  to  the 
Secretaryship  of  the  S.  S.  Board,  the  gross  receipts  of 
the  Board  were  between  $3,000  and  $4,000,  including 
subscriptions  to  Kind  Words,  and  all  other  sources  of 
income.  During  the  fiscal  year,  ending  May  1,  1871, 
the  gross  receipts  of  the  Board,  under  his  manage- 
ment, were  $19,168.98.  In  the  meantime,  two  other 
Sunday-school  papers,  one  in  Georgia  and  one  in 
Louisiana,  were  purchased  and  blended  with  Kind 
Words.  This  left  no  rivalry  in  the  field  of  the  Board's 
operations  to  their  own  paper  ;  and  greater  efficiency 
was  thereby  given  to  this  part  of  the  important  work 
of  the  Board.  The  Secretary,  by  consent  of  the  Board, 
employed  able  correspondents  to  write  for  Kind 
Words;  and  it  soon  became  one  of  the  best  Sunday- 
school  papers  in  the  land. 

Soon  after  Dr.  T.  entered  upon  his  duties  as  Sec- 
retary of  the(S.  S.  Board,  a  National  Sunday  School 
Convention  was  held  in  St.  Louis,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Am.  Bap.  Pub.  Society.  He  attended  that  meet- 
ing. And  while  there  he  suggested  to  Dr.  Dickenson, 
that  The  Sunday  School  Banner,  the  name  of  the 
periodical  which  Dr.  Jeter  and  he  had  recently  pur- 
chased of  Major  Connor,  of  Georgia,  and  which  they 
had  sold  to  the  Am.  Bap.  Pub.  Society,  was  too  gen- 
eral. It  might  not  only  be  a  paper  for  teachers,  but 
also  for  children.  And  as  the  paper  was  intended 
solely  for  the  benefit  of  Sunday-school  teachers,  why 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  213 

not  call  it  the  "THE  BAPTIST  TEACHER?"  He  replied 
with  earnestness:  "That  is  the  very  name  for  the 
paper;"  and  in  the  first  issue  of  the  Teacher,  full 
credit  was  given  to  Dr.  T.  fo  his  suggestion  as  to  the 
proper  name  of  the  periodical.  It  has  been  a  valuable 
aid  to  teachers  for  the  last  eighteen  years,  and  is  likely 
to  continue  to  be  to  the  end  of  time. 

During  Dr.  T.'s  connection  with  the  S.  S.  Board,  a 
clever  beginning  was  made  in  the  work  of  Sunday 
School  Colportage,  and  also  in  the  publication  of  little 
Sunday-school  books,  suited  to  the  children  all  over 
our  extended  field  of  operations.  A  prize  of  $100  was 
offered  for  the  best  little  book  of  100  pages,  16  mo., 
calculated  to  lead  children  to  Jesus.  A-number  of 
valuable  Mss.  were  received  for  the  prize.  But  the 
Committee  on  Publications  decided  that  two  of  the 
MSS.  were  well  worthy  of  the  prize  ;  and  these  MSS. 
were  so  nearly  equal  in  excellence,  that  the  Committee 
recommended  to  the  Board  that  both  the  MSS.  should 
be  published,  and  that  the  prize  should  be  equally 
divided  between  the  authors.  One  of  the  books  was 
written  by  Rev.  C.  E.  W.  Dobbs,  D.  D.,  and  the  other 
by  Miss  Laura  Dayton.  Dr.  Dobbs'  book  was  entitle^ 
"The  Hero  of  Truth,"  and  Miss  Dayton's  was  called 
"Grace  Warren."  Both  these  books  have  been  widely 
circulated,  and  in  the  hands  of  the  National  Baptist 
Publishing  Company,  of  St.  Louis,  are  still  in  great 
demand.  Other  little  books  of  value  Avere  published 
during  Dr.  T.'s  connection  with  the  S.  S.  Board  ;  one 
of  which  deserves  especial  notice.  It  is  a  book  entitled 


214  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

"The  City  out  of  Sight,"  and  was  written  by  Mrs. 
Dougherty,  of  Louisville,  Ky. 

Although  the  cost  of  "Child's  Delight,"  and  "The 
Children  of  the  West,"  involved  an-  outlay  of  about 
$3,500,  the  indebtedness  of  the  Board  when  Dr.  T. 
closed  his  connection  with  it,  was  less  than  $4,000. 
This  indebtedness  would  doubtless  have  been  entirely 
canceled  in  a  single  year  more,  if  Dr.  T.  had  gone  on 
with  the  work.  But  as  it  seemed  to  him,  that  neither 
his  self-sacrificing  labor,  nor  the  importance  of  the 
work  itself,  was  properly  appreciated  by  many  mem- 
bers of  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention,  he  deter- 
mined to  retire  from  his  position  at  as  early  a  day  as  he 
could  consistently  with  the  interests  of  the  Board. 
Accordingly,  after  due  notice,  he  closed  his  labors  as 
the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Sunday  School 
Board  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention  on  the  15th 
of  September,  1871. 

It  is  just  to  say,  that  during  Dr.  T.'s  connection 
with  the  Sunday  School  Board,  his  relations  with  the 
other  two  Corresponding  Secretaries,  viz. :  Rev.  Dr. 
J.  B.  Taylor,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Foreign 
•Mission  Board,  and  Rev.  Dr.  M.  T.  Sunnier,  Cor- 
responding Secretary  of  the  Domestic  Mission  Board, 
were  always  of  the  most  harmonious  and  pleasant 
character.  For  both  of  these  brethren  Dr.  T.  cher- 
ished at  the  time  the  warmest  esteem  ;  and  the  recol- 
lection of  the  kindly,  fraternal  intercourse  which  he 
enjoyed  with  these  highly  valued  brethren,  growing 
out  of  his  official  relations  to  them,  will  be  cherished 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  215 

with  the  deepest  interest  as  long  as  he  lives.  Dr. 
Taylor  was  called  to  his  rest  and  his  reward  a  few 
months  after  Dr.  T.  had  resigned  his  position  as  Cor- 
responding Secretary  of  the  Sunday  School  Board. 
He  had  served  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  as  their 
esteemed  and  efficient  Corresponding  Secretary  nearly 
the  whole  time,  from  the  organization  of  the  Souther 
Baptist  Convention  to  the  day  of  his  death.  His  name 
will  be  fragrant  in  the  memory  of  all  the  friends  of 
Foreign  Missions  as  long  as  the  Convention  endures. 
Dr.  Sumner  was  a  tower  of  strength  to  the  Domestic- 
Mission  Board  during  his  long  official  connection  with 
that  Board,  and  his  memory  will  be  cherished  by  gen- 
erations yet  unborn. 

During  Dr.  T.'s  connection  with  the  Sunday  School 
Board,  the  utmost  harmony  existed  in  that  body;  and 
when  the  final  parting  took  place  between  the  Secretary 
and  the  Board,  it  was  effected  with  the  warmest  ex- 
pressions of  mutual  esteem  and  ardent  affection. 

After  Dr.  T.'s  retirement  from  the  Secretaryship  of 
the  Sunday  School  Board,  it  began  again  to  decline  ; 
and  the  Board  was  finally  consolidated  with  the  Do- 
mestic and  Indian  Mission  Board,  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Southern  Baptist  Convention,  which  was  held  in 
Mobile,  in  May,  1873.  It  has  since  had  no  separate 
existence,  and  has  done  but  little  good  since  the  new 
departure. 

Immediately  after  having  closed  his  official  connec- 
tion with  the  Sunday  School  Board,  Dr.  T.  entered 
upon  the  work  of  a  General  Evangelist,  throughout  the 


216  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Southern  States,  for  which  his  brethren  thought  him 
to  be  specially  adapted.  He  had  been  eminently  suc- 
cessful in  his  evangelical  labors,  while  engaged  in  col- 
lecting money  for  the  erection  of  the  large  church 
edifice  in  Washington  City,  and  also  among  the  sol- 
diers in  the  Confederate  army  during  the  war ;  and  it 
was  believed  that  he  might  do  more  good  in  this  sphere 
of  toil,  for  a  season,  than  perhaps  in  any  other  way. 
With  such  impressions  of  duty  he  entered  this  field  of 
labor. 

The  first  meeting  which  he  held  as  an  Evangelist 
was  in  Lexington,  Mississippi,  which  was  greatly 
blessed.  Of  the  meeting  at  Lexington  and  Dr.  T.'s 
labors  there,  the  pastor  of  the  church,  in  a  communica- 
tion to  THE  BAPTIST,  of  Memphis,  says:  "The  Baptist 
Church  at  Lexington,  Miss.,  has  for  the  last  three 
weeks  enjoyed  the  faithful  and  earnest  labors  of  Dr. 
Teasdale,  who  has  recently  given  himself  to  the  work 
of  an  evangelist ;  and  for  the  work  of  a  true  evangelist 
he  is  most  eminently  qualified.  He  is  not  a  mere 
excitist,  or  sensationalist,  but  a  clear,  thorough  and 
forcible  preacher  of  the  Word,  by  which  potent  instru- 
ment he  mightily  convinces  men.  He  covers  no  sin* and 
shuns  no  Bible  doctrine,  but  proves  himself  "a  work- 
man that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing 
the  word  of  God."  But  of  Bro.  T.  as  a  preacher  of 
the  Word,  as  a  pulpit  orator,  nor  yet  as  an  evangelist. 
I  need  not  speak ;  for  his  reputation  is  too  well  estab- 
lished, and  he  is  too  widely  known,  for  a  word  to  be 
necessary.  I  need  only  add,  happy  the  churchos  and 


•F  A  LON©  LIFE.  217 

pastors  that  shall  be  favored  with  his  labors  as  we  have 
been.  Twenty -six  have  been  added  to  the  church, 
twenty-three  of  whom  were  by  baptism.  Several 
others  have  professed  fyith  in  Christ,  who  have  not  yet 
been  baptized.  Those  added  to  the  church  are  among 
the  most  prominent  citizens.  The  church  is  greatly 
encouraged,  and  will  desire  to  sett  1ft  a  pastor  by  the 
1st  of  January,  when  my  labors  will  close  here  as 
pastor.  A.  B.  TOMLINSON. 

Lexington,  Miss.,  Nov.  6,  1871." 

Shortly  after  the  meeting  in  Lexington,  Dr.  T.  went 
to  the  aid  of  Dr.  J.  M.  Lewis,  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  in  New  Orleans.  He  remained  in  New 
Orleans  about  three  weeks ;  and  his  labors  there  were 
crowned  with  a  rich  blessing  to  that  weak  church. 
About  thirty  souls  were  added  to  the  church  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  labors,  under  God,  during  the  meeting  ;  and 
the  church  itself  was  revived  and  strengthened  in  a 
considerable  degree  on  the  occasion. 

From  New  Orleans,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Mobile  to  assist 
Rev.  P.  T.  Warren,  pastor  of  Broad  Street  Church,  in 
a  series  of  meetings.  He  remained  here  also  about 
three  weeks  ;  and  his  labors  in  the  Lord  were  not  in 
vain  in  that  city.  Quite  a  number  of  valuable  acces- 
sions were  made  to  the  church  during  the  meeting,  and 
the  graces  of  Christians  were  revived  and  strengthened. 

From  Mobile,  Dr.  T.  returned  to  his  home  in  Colum- 
bus, Miss.,  and  gave  his  only  living  daughter,  and 
youngest  child,  in  marriage  to  Prof.  Thos.  L.  Moses, 
of  Knoxville,  Tenn.  The  wedding  occurred  at  the 


218  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

house  of  Dr.T.,  on  the  night  of  the  28th  of  December, 
1871,  and  the  ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Doctor 
himself.  His  daughter  shrank  from  the  notoriety  of 
having  the  ceremony  performed  at  the  church,  as  her 
numerous  friends  and  acquaintances  had  desired,  and  a 
few  only  of  her  intimate  friends  were  invited  to  be 
present  at  the  wedding.  She  left  with  her  husband 
the  same  night  for  her  new  home  in  Knoxville,  bearing 
with  her  the  esteem  of  the  whole  community. 

After  the  marriage  of  his  daughter,  Dr.  T.  spent  a 
week  in  Okolona,  Miss.,  in  aid  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mason, 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  that  town,  in  a  series 
of  religious  services  in  his  church.  The  weather  proved 
exceedingly  unpropitious  for  the  meeting,  and  most 
of  the  good  which  had  been  anticipated  from  the 
exercises  was  on  that  account  not  realized.  The 
streets  in  wet  weather  become  very  muddy  in  Okolona, 
and,  outside  of  the  plank-walks,  are  almost  impassible 
for  ladies.  It  was  so  on  this  occasion.  Still,  some 
professed  hope  in  Christ  in  the  meeting. 

From  Okolona,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Clinton,  La.,  to 
assist  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  that  place  in  a  series 
of  meetings.  The  condition  of  the  cause  of  religion 
when  he  went  to  Clinton,  and  the  estimate  placed  upon 
his  efforts  during  his  brief  stay  there,  are  sufficiently 
indicated  by  the  following  letter  of  the  pastor  to  one 
of  our  religious  papers  : 

"Clinton  has  for  a  long  time  been  noted  for  its  re- 
ligious apathy,  and  while  the  people  were  refined  and 
hospitable,  yet  it  became  proverbially  a  hard  place. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  219 

The  truly  pious  here,  of  every  name,  deplored  this  sad 
state,  and  many  a  fervent  prayer  went  up  last  year 
that  the  Lord  would  revive  the  hearts  of  his  people, 
and  awaken  the  unconverted  in  our  midst.  In  answer, 
we  trust,  to  these  prayers,  we  have  been  blessed  with 
a  precious  "time  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord,"  under  a  series  of  sermons  by  Rev.  Dr.  T. 
C.  Teasdale,  now  laboring  as  evangelist  throughout 
the  South.  Dr.  Teasdale's  sermons  present  a  happy 
combination  of  the  logical  and  practical.  He  seeks  to 
preach  to  the  whole  man,  head  and  heart,  and  this  he 
does  effectually.  Never  have  the  cause  of  our  people 
and  the  sacred  principles  of  vital  piety  stood  on  such 
high  vantage  ground  as  now  ;  at  least  since  we  have 
known  the  place. 

The  following  editoral  notice  of  these  meetings, 
taken  from  one  of  our  town  papers,  will  convey  to 
your  readers  a  very  correct  idea  of  the  impressions 
made  upon  the  community  by  the  sermons  of  Dr. 
Teasdale : 

'The  Rev.  T.  C.  Teasdale,  D.  D.,  who  was  announced 
in  our  last  issue,  has  delivered  a  series  of  eloquent, 
touching  and  appropriate  sermons  in  the  Baptist  Church 
in  this  place.  Asa  general  thing  the  audience  has  been 
large,  and  all  express  themselves  deeply  moved  by  the 
efforts  of  this  good  and  learned  man.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Teasdale  was  formerly  pastor  of  the  Southern  Church, 
Washington,  District  of  Columbia,  but  is  now  laboring 
as  an  evangelist  in  the  South.  Quite  advanced  in  years, 
his  silvery  locks  and  wrinkled  features,  which  bear 


220  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENT! 

a  true  Christian  expression,  are  well  calculated  to  soften 
the  heart,  and  lead  his  hearers  to  ponder  over  the 
truths  which  he  gives  utterance  to.  The  subject  of 
'Recognition  in  Heaven,'  which  he  dealt  with  on  Sun- 
day last,  was  eloquently  and  forcibly  proven,  and  at 
intervals  he  succeeded  so  completely  in  holding  his 
audience  spell-bound,  as  it  were,  until  the  dropping  of 
a  pin  upon  the  floor  could  easily  have  been  heard.  On 
Tuesday  evening  his  discourse  to  the  female  portion  of 
our  community,  from  Luke  10  :42,  was  a  masterly 
effort,  and  many  manifested  a  firm  conviction  in  tbe 
truth  of  his  argument.  His  sermon  to  the  young  men, 
on  Wednesday  evening,  business  prevented  our  hearing, 
but  it  is  highly  spoken  of  by  those  who  did.  The 
visit  of  this  good  and  great  man  has  accomplished  much 
good,  and  the  prayers  of  the  Christian  community  for 
his  welfare  will  go  with  him  in  his  travels. 

The  effects  of  these  meetings  have  been  most  bene- 
ficial. Bo-sides  several  accessions  to  the  church,  and 
the  conversion  of  many  who  will  join  at  an  early  day, 
the  brethren  have  awakened  to  the  consciousness  of 
their  own  strength  and  that  of  their  cause.  They  have 
determined  to  build  a  new  house  of  worship,  and  have 
already  the  means  at  their  disposal  for  four-fifths  of 
the  entire  cost.  The  new  building  is  to  be  of  the  most 
chaste  Gothic  architecture,  and.  finished  in  the  best 
style.  It  will  be  of  brick,  and  will  cost  about  six 
thousand  dollar*. 

The  closing  day  of  the  meeting  was  a  high  day  with 
the  brethren.  Each  seemed  to  understand  the  Divine 


Of  A  LOXG  LIFE.  221 

1 

philosophy  of  Paul:  'Forgetting  the  things  that  are 
behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things  which  are 
before,  I  press  to  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  my  high 
calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.' 

In  a  few  months  we  shall  be  ready  for  the  dedica- 
tion of  our  church  edifice,  and  if  these  lines  should 
meet  the  eye  of  Bro.  Teasdale — a  brother  dear  to  our 
hearts — they  will  admonish  him  of  the  pressing  solici- 
tations of  the  brethren  for  him  to  preach  for  us  the 
dedication  sermon.  Yours  fraternally, 

S.  A.  HAYDEN. 

Clinton,  La.,  Jan.  23,  1872." 

From  Clinton,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Marshall,  Texas,  to 
assist  the  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Beverly,  in  a  protracted 
meeting  in  that  place.  He  arrived  there  about  the  last 
of  January,  1872.  On  the  very  night  of  his  arrival  in 
Marshall,  a  very  severe  Texas  Norther  set  in,  which 
lasted  at  least  a  week.  Those  who  have  never  experi 
enced  one  of  those  Northers,  can  not  form  any  ad- 
equate conception  of  thefr  severity.  They  occur  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  but  are,  of  course,  much  more 
severe  in  the  fall,  winter  and  spring.  They  frequent- 
ly come  so  suddenly,  that  persons  in  the  fields  at  work 
have  not  time  to  get  to  their  houses  for  protection. 
You  m;iy  go  out  in  a  bright,  warm  morning  in  May, 
with  thin,  summer  clothing  ;  and  before  night-fall,  it 
will  be  cold  enough  for  thick  winter  clothes,  and  a 
blanket,  or  overcoat  besides.  The  extremes  from  hot 
to  cold  are  often  rapid  and  wonderful.  This  is  one  of 
the  draw-backs  to  the  Texas  climate.  This  severe 


222  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

i 

Norther,  coming  at  the  very  time  our  meeting  was  to 
begin,  was  greatly  against  the  hope  of  our  success. 
And  besides,  there  were  a  number  of  panes  of  glass 
wanting  in  the  meeting-house,  and  larsre  crevices  in 

O  C3  *  O 

abundance  in  almost  every  part  of  the  church,  through 
which  the  piercing  blasts  of  the  Norther  found  ready 
ingress.  There  was  only  one  stove  in  the  building, 
and  that  was  one  of  altogether  inadequate  dimensions; 
and  it  occupied  a  place  immediately  in  front  of  the 
pulpit,  and  very  close  to  it,  so  that  while  the  minister 
would  be  roasted  in  preaching,  the  mass  of  the  con- 
gregation would  be  almost  ready  to  freeze  in  hearing. 
Dr.  T.  first  stirred  up  the  brethren  to  put  in  the 
missing  panes  of  glass  ;  and  then  to  stop  the  crevices 
in  the  meeting-house,  and  arrange  for  the  better  warm- 
ing of  the  whole  church.  Accordingly,  the  old  stove 
was  moved  back  several  feet,  and  a  new  one  was  placed 
near  the  organ  gallery  in  the  rear  of  the  church.  By 
these  measures  the  house  was  made  comfortable,  and 
the  people  were  drawn  in  to  hear  what  the  preacher 
had  to  say.  The  Norther  gradually  decreased  in 
severity,  and  the  congregation  increased  in  size,  until 
the  spacious  house  was  filled  with  solemn  and  attentive 
listeners.  The  interest  in  the  exercises  grew  rapidly 
as  the  meeting  advanced,  until  at  length  the  whole  city 
was  moved  by  the  power  of  the  blessed  work.  It  was 
remarked  by  those  who  had  enjoyed  the  best  oppor- 
tunities for  knowing  all  about  such  matters,  that  the 
interest  in  the  meeting  finally  became  more  general  and 
more  profound  than  that  of  any  previous  meeting  in 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  223 

that  place  for  the  past  twenty  years,  at  least.  The 
accessions  to  the  church  were  not  so  numerous  as  in 
many  other  places  ;  but  the  piety  of  the  members,  it 
was  thought,  was  greatly  promoted.  Some  thirty,  or 
thirty-five  accessions  were  made  to  the  church ;  and  the 
cause,  in  general,  was  largely  advanced  in  the  com- 
munity by  reason  of  the  meeting. 

From  Marshall,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Jefferson,  some  six- 
teen miles  distant  from  Marshall,  to  assist  the  late 
lamented  Dr.  S.  R.  Freeman,  in  a  series  of  meetings 
in  that  city.  Dr.  Freeman  had  just  arrived  from 
Alabama,  to  take  charge  of  the  church  in  Jefferson. 
Dr.  T.  and  himself  were  old  and  warm  personal 
friends  ;  ancj  this  last  interview  which  they  enjoyed  to- 
gether, was  one  of  unusual  mutual  interest.  The  con- 
gregations here  were  very  large — often  filling  their 
spacious  church  to  overflowing — but  beyond  the  re- 
vival of  the  graces  of  God's  people,  little  apparent 
good  seemed  to  be  effected  in  the  meeting.  Dr.  T. 
always  regarded  his  efforts  in  Jefferson  as  a  failure 
for  him — for  he  rarely  ever  failed  of  large  success — 
and  regretted  his  inability,  under  the  circumstances,  to 
bring  to  a  greater  extent,  the  unconverted  of  the  city 
under  the  saving  operation  of  the  truth,  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  But  some  were  converted  nevertheless  ; 
and  it  is  hoped  that  many  received  impressions  which 
will  never  be  effaced. 

From  Jefferson,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Longview,  then 
the  terminus  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  where 
he  met  Rev.  Tully  Choice,  who  was  waiting  to  carry 


224  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

him  in  his  buggy  to  his  home  in  Smith  County,  some 
twenty  miles  distant.  Elder  Choice  had  made  an  ap- 
pointment for  Dr.  T.  to  preach  the  next  day  and 
night  after  his  arrival,  to  his  country  church  in  the 
vicinity  of  his  residence,  which  is  called  Mt.  Sylvan 
The  two  sermons  preached  at  that  place  produced  a 
remarkable  effect.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon  at 
night,  about  twenty  persons  requested  special  prayer. 
The  next  day  Dr.  T.  was  carried  to  Jamestown,  a  dis- 
tance of  some  six  miles,  by  Elder  Choice,  to  con- 
duct a  meeting  there  for  a  few  days.  The  church  at 
this  place  was  also  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Elder 
Choice.  Dr.  T.  remained  at  Jamestown  six  days,  and 
his  labors  were  greatly  blessed.  Thirteen  joyful  con- 
verts were  baptized  before  he  left  the  meeting;  and 
thirty  persons  came  forward  for  special  prayer  the 
night  on  which  he  closed  his  labors  there. 

From  Jamestown,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Tyler,  the  county- 
seat  of  Smith  County,  some  twenty-two  miles  from  the 
former  place,  to  assist  Rev.  Mr.  Rowland  in  a  series 
of  meetings  in  that  city.  His  labors  here,  also,  were 
wonderfully  blessed.  So  deep  and  general  did  the  in- 
terest become  in  the  meetings,  that  business  was  to  a 
great  extent  suspended,  and  the  schools  were  dismissed, 
at  the  hour  of  11  a.  m.,  so  that  all  might  attend  the 
morning  meetings.  On  One  occasion,  it  was  said,  that 
every  business  house  in  the  city  was  closed,  at  11  a. 
m.,  in  order  that  proprietors  and  clerks  might  go  to 
church.  Over  sixty  were  added  to  the  Baptist  Church 
alone,  during  the  meeting  ;  and  more  than  forty  came 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  225 

forward  for  prayers,  earnestly  inquiring  what  they 
must  do  to  be  saved,  on  the  night  when  he  preached 
his  closing  sermon  in  the  meeting.  If  he  had  staid  a 
week  longer,  the  probability  is,  that  at  least  one  hun- 
dred souls  would  have  been  added  to  the  Baptist 
Church  in  that  place,  under  his  labors.  As  it  was, 
there  were  probably  that  number  of  converts  in  all. 
The  meeting  here  lasted,  under  Dr.  T.'s  management, 
eighteen  days.  It  constituted  an  era  in  the  history  of 
the  Baptist  cause  in  that  growing  little  city.  Since 
that  meeting,  railroad  communication  has  been  opened 
to  Tyler,  and  the  city  has  rapidly  advanced  in  popula- 
tion and  prosperity. 

From  Tyler,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Palestine,  an  adjoining 
county-seat,  to  hold  a  meeting  there,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Board  of  the  General  Association  of  N.  E. 
Texas.  The  Baptist  cause  in  Palestine  had  become 
well  nigh  extinct ;  and  their  meeting-house,  which  had 
been  formerly  the  best  in  the  place,  was  in  a  very  di- 
lapidated condition.  The  roof  was  almost  entirely 
gone;  and  the  window-sash  and  casing  were  entirely 
missing  ;  and  the  whole  edifice  presented  a  lamentable 
aspect  of  total  neglect.  On  examination,  Dr.  T.  found 
that  the  timber  in  the  building  was  of  a  superior  char- 
acter, and  had  not  yet  suffered  essential  injury  from 
exposure.  He  determined  at  once  to  put  in  operation 
such  measures  as  would  result  in  re-enclosing  the 
church,  and  fitting  it  up  for  divine  service.  Accord- 
ingly, the  church  was  reorganized;  several  members 
brought  their  letters  from  other  churches,  and  cast  in 


226  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

their  lot  with  the  brethren  here;  a  subscription  was 
opened  on  the  spot  to  make  the  necessary  repairs  on 
the  meeting-house  ;  and  the  hou>c  was  refitted  for  wor- 
ship at  an  expense  of  some  $800.  The  almost  inces- 
sant rain,  during  Dr.  T.'s  stay  in  Palestine,  prevented 
the  accomplishment  of  much  good  amongst  the  un- 
converted. Still  he  was  heard  with  profound  interest 
by  the  people  who  could  attend  the  meetings ;  and 
often,  at  brief  intervals  between  the  showers,  the 
meeting-house  was  thronged  with  solemn  listeners.  It 
is  believed  that  his  labors  at  Palestine,  will,  in  the  end, 
be  found  to  have  been  productive  of  much  permanent 
good.  Our  cause  in  that  place  is  more  indebted,  un- 
der God,  for  its  resuscitation  and  support,  to  Mrs. 
Mary  L.  Jackson,  than  to  any -other  individual.  What 
would  our  churches  do  without  their  holy  women? 

An  incident  occurred  at  Palestine  which  is  deemed 
worthy  of  notice.  A  little  boy,  whose  mother  was 
not  able  to  go  out  the  first  night  of  the  meeting  there, 
went  home  from  the  meeting,  and  said,  "Ma,  Dr/Teas- 
dale  is  no  great  preacher.  I  could  understand  every 
word  he  said  myself." 

From  Palestine,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Houston,  to  assist 
the  Rev.  J.  T.  Zealy  in  a  meeting  in  his  church  in  that 
important  and  growing  city.  When  Mr.  Zealy  was 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Columbia,  S,  C.,  and  Dr.  T. 
was  pastor  of  the  Thirteenth  Street  Church,  in  Wash- 
ington City,  D.  C.,  Dr.  T.  assisted  Mr.  Z.  in  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  in  Columbia,  which  was  very  much 
blessed.  Mr.  Z.  gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  to 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  227 

about  one  hundred  and  thirty  persons,  on  the  first 
communion  occasion  after  the  meeting.  And  now  that 
he  was  settled  in  one  of  the  principal  cities  of  the 
great  Empire  State  of  the  South-west,  he  was  anxious 
to  secure  Dr.  T's.  services  at  that  point.  Accordingly, 
in  May,  1872,  Dr.  T.  visited  Houston,  and  spent  two 
weeks  in  labors  with  Mr.  Zealy's  people.  Christians 
were  very  much  revived  by  the  exercises  of  the  occa- 
sion, and  some  twenty  persons  professed  hope  in 
Christ  during  the  meeting.  There  was,  however,  an 
element  of  old  fogy  ism  in  the  Houston  Church,  which 
operated  greatly  against  the  more  enlarged  success  of 
the  meeting;  and  which,  so  long  as  it  remains  in  the 
church,  will  make  the  growth  of  the  body  slow,  and 
greatly  cripple  the  efforts  of  the  pastor  in  extending 
our  denominational  principles  in  that  important  centre 
of  influence  in  the  great  Empire  State.  It  is  due  to 
say,  however,  that  besides  the  excellent  and  efficient 
pastor,  and  Rev.  J.  B.  Link,  editor  of  the  Texas 
Baptist  Herald,  there  are  many  earnest  workers  in 
the  Houston  Church,  and  persons  of  deep  piety  and 
love  for  the  cause.  It  is  hoped  that  a  bright  future 
awaits  our  cause  in  Houston  ;  and  that  the  cold  and 
worldly-minded  members  of  the  church  in  that  place, 
may  become  devotedly  pious,  and  earnestly  co-operate 
with  the  working  brethren  of  the  body,  in  building  up 
the  cause  of  entire  truth,  in  that  growing  city.  "So 
mote  it  be!" 

From  Houston,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Huntsville.     This  is 
one  of  the  old  towns  of  Texas ;  and  although  it  has  a 


228  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

branch  railroad,  connecting  with  the  Great  Northern 
and  International   Railroad,   »ome   eight   miles  below 
the  city,  its  growth  has  been  very  slow.     The  peni- 
tentiary of  the  state  is  located  at  this   place  ;  and  that 
of  itself  makes  it  a  point  of   importance  and  interest. 
Here  also  was  the  residence  of   the  late  Gen.  Samiiel 
Houston,  a  man  whose  name  is  held  in   sacred  remem- 
brance by  all  the  people  of  the  state,  and  especially  by 
his   neighbors   and   friends    in    Huntsville.     Dr.    T. 
found  our  cause  in  this  place  in  a  depressed  condition. 
There  were,    however,    connected   with  the  church  in 
Huntsville,   when    Dr.    T.  visited  it,  some  excellent 
members,  Judge  Moxey  and  his  estimable  family  ;  Bro. 
M.  C.  Rogers,    who   died   a   few   months  afterwards  ; 
Bro.   Wilson    and    family;  Bro.  Birdwell  and   wife; 
Bro.  Gambrell  and  family;   Bro.   Cox  and  wife ;  Dr. 
Prince  and  wife  ;  Mrs.  Abbercombie  and  a  number  of 
others,  whose  names  we  can  not  now  recall,  were  then 
connected  with  the  Baptist  Church  in  that  place.     In 
point  of  the   piety  and   respectability  of   its  member- 
ship, the  church  in  Huntsville  compared  very  favora- 
bly, to  say  the  least  of   it,   with  any  of   the  Chris. ian 
Societies  in  the  place.     Their  young  pastor,  Rev.  Win. 
Hayne  Leavell,   was  absent   at  the   time   Dr.  T.  was 
there ;  and  the  entire  work  of  the  pastor  and  evange- 
list was,  therefore,   devolved   upon   Dr.    T.      He  re- 
mained in  Huntsville  about  ten  days,  and   preached  to 
large   and    attentive  congregations  during  the   whole 
time   of  his  stay  there.     Christians   expressed  them- 
selves as  having  been  greatly  benefitted  and  advanced 


Or  A  LONG  LIFE.  229 

in  their  education  for  heaven,  by  the  exercises  of  the 
occasion ;  and  several  professed  hope  in  Christ,  three 
of  whom  were  baptized  by  Dr.  T.  before  he  left  the 
city. 

From  Huntsville,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Crockett,  another 
old  town  in  Texas,  some  forty  miles  from  Huntsville, 
on  the  Great  Northern  and  International  Railroad. 
Rev.  J.  G.  Thomas  was  the  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Crockett.  Under  his  prudent  management,  a  serious 
disruption  in  the  church,  of  several  years'  standing, 
had  been  entirely  healed  ;  and  arrangements  had  been 
made  for  the  building  of  a  new  church,  on  a  very 
eligible  site  near  the  centre  of  the  town.  The  old 

»u 

church  in  which  the  Baptists  were  worshipping  was 
small  and  ill-ventilated.  The  meeting  was  moved  over 
to  the  Methodist  Church  for  the  better  accommodation 
of  the  people  ;  but  after  the  meeting  had  been  going 
on  there  for  a  short  time,  the  Methodists  wanted  their 
house  for  a  Sunday-school  picnic  service,  which  greatly 
diverted  attention  from  the  revival  exercises.  And 
then  almost  immediately  it  was  ascertained  that  their 
quarterly  meeting  was  to  be  held  the  following  Satur- 
day and  Sunday.'  This  necessitated  the  return  of  the 
Baptists  to  their  own  house  of  worship;  and  threw  the 
main  interest  of  the  meeting  into  the  hands  of  the 
Methodists.  They  reaped  a  rich  harvest  from  the  in- 
fluence of  Dr.  T.'s  toils  in  that  place. 

From  Crockett,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Brenham,  Washing- 
ton county,  Texas,  and  held  a  meeting  with  the  Bap- 
tist Church  in  that  place,  then  under  the  pastoral  care 


230  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

.of  Rev.  M.  B.  Smith.  Elder  Earle,  the  distinguished 
evangelist,  had  held  a  meeting  in  this  church  a  few 
months  before,  which  was  continued  for  some  weeks 
after  he  left  by  the  excellent  pastor  and  the  brethren  ; 
and  a  large  number  of  persons  were  at  that  time  added 
to  the  church.  Dr.  T.  was  heard  with  profound  in- 
terest and  attention  by  the  large  congregations  who 
attended  the  meetings;  but  he  soon  found  that  nearly 
all  the  impressible  material  in  the  community  had  been 
reached  and  bbrought  into  the  church  by  the  previous 
meeting;  and  he,  therefore,  turned  his  attention  mainly 
to  the  work  of  instructing  and  indoctrinating  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  and  especially  the  numerous  young 
converts  in  the  body.  In  this  he  was  successful  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  pastor,  and  deacons  of  the 
church  said  to  him  before  he  left,  that  there  never  had 
been  a  meeting  there  so  well  calculated  to  establish 
Christians  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel,  and  develop  and 
improve  the  graces  of  the  Spirit  in  their  hearts.  A 
few  persons  also  professed  hope  in  Christ  during  the 
meeting. 

From  Brenham,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Bryan,  a  growing 
little  city  on  the  Texas  Central  Railroad,  situated 
about  one  hundred  miles  north  of  Houston.  Mr.  Earle 
had  visited  this  place,  also,  during  his  tour  in  Texas; 
and  the  condition  of  the  church  here  was  very  similar 
to  that  of  Brenham.  The  Rev.  F.  M.  Law  was  the 
esteemed  pastor  of  this  church  ;  and  his  efficient  labors 
in  the  gospel  were  highly  appreciated  by  his  members, 
as  were  the  labors  of  Bro.  Smith  at  Brenham.  It 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  231 

rarely  happens  that  churches  are  favored  with  pastors 
so  prudent  and  so  efficient  as  were  the  churches  of 
Brenham  and  Bryan  when  Dr.  T.  held  his  meetings 
with  them.  More  persons  were  converted  under  the 
labors  of  Dr.  T.  in  Bryan  than  were  converted  in  his 
meeting  at  Brenham .  But  the  chief  good  accomplished 
in  Bryan  was  like  that  effected  in  Brenham.  It  con- 
sisted mainly  in  the  better  enlightenment  of  the  young 
converts  in  the  church,  and  the  promotion  of  a  higher 
standard  of  piety  in  the  entire  membership  of  the 
body. 

From  Bryan,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Maiiin, Texas,  then  the 
terminus  of  the  branch  railroad  leading  from  Brernond 
to  Waco.  He  found  our  cause  here  at  a  low  ebb  ;  and 
owing  to  a  singular  combination  of  untoward  circum- 
stances, he  was  unable  so  to  rally  the  people  during 
his  short  stay  there  as  to  effect  much  immediate  good. 
It  was  hoped,  however,  that  his  labors  would  be  a  per- 
manent blessing  to  the  church  and  brethren  of  that 
community. 

From  Marlin,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Calvert,  on  the  Texas 
Central  Railroad,  some  thirty  miles  above  Bryan. 
Our  cause  here  was  exceedingly  weak.  The  church 
was  worshipping  in  a  school-house  inadequate  in  size, 
and  badly  ventilated.  The  weather,  too,  was  then  very 
hot.  It  was  near  the  middle  of  July  when  the  meet- 
ing was  held  at  Calvert.  But  notwithstanding  the  hot 
weather,  the  inconvenient  room,  and  a  would  be  pas- 
tor, whom  the  people  greatly  disliked,  the  exercises 
of  the  occasion  were  considerably  blessed.  Dr.  T. 


232  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

baptized  four  before  he  left  the  meeting ;  one  of  whom 
was  the  wife  of  a  prominent  merchant  in  the  place, 
and  another  the  wife  of  a  prominent  lawyer.  As  an 
evidence  of  the  interest  which  was  felt  in  the  -preach- 
ing of  Dr.  T.  by  the  people  of  Calvert,  a  lady  of  the 
place,  who  was  not  a  Baptist,  came  to  shake  hands 
with  the  preacher  and  bid  him  farewell,  and  begged 
him^to  accept  as  a  token  of  her  interest  in  his  labors  a 
small  mite ;  and  she  dropped  into  his  hand  a  twenty 
dollar  gold  piece.  The  church  at  Calvert  also  received 
in  that  meeting  a  number  of  valuable  accessions  by  let- 
ter, and  by  restoration ;  so  that  it  soon  became  an 
efficient  body,  and  its  influence  for  good  is  now  widely 
felt.  It  soon  afterwards  erected  a  commodious  and 
elegant  house  of  worship  and  called  an  efficient  man  to 
the  pastorate.  From  Calvert,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Austin, 
to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  State  Sunday  School 
Convention.  This  was  a  large  gathering  of  Sunday- 
school  workers  from  various  parts  of  the  state.  Dr. 
T.  made  one  of  the  set  addresses  on  the  occasion ; 
preached  on  Sunday  morning  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  addressed  a  mass  meeting  of  the  Sunday- 
schools  of  the  city  on  Sunday  afternoon ;  and  on  Mon- 
day started  for  his  home  in  Columbus,  Miss.  Thus  he 
terminated  his  first  evangelical  tour  in  Texas.  It  was 
on  the  whole  a  very  pleasant  and  successful  tour.  It 
occupied  about  five  months  and  a  half.  During  that 
time  he  had  preached  two  hundred  and  ninety-eight 
sermons,  besides  all  the  addresses  and  exhortations 
which  he  had  delivered  in  the  progress  of  his  meet- 


Or  A  LONG  LIFE. 

ings  ;  and  a  large  number  of  souls,  in  the  aggregate, 
had  been  converted  and  added  to  the  churches, 
through  his  instrumentality.  His  visit  and  labors  were 
highly  appreciated  in  Texas  ;  and  at  the  earnest  solic- 
itation of  a  number  of  churches  and  pastors,  he  agreed 
to  return  to  the  state  during  the  ensuing  autumn,  and 
hold  other  meetings,  in  various  places. 


234  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER  XL 


On  his  arrival  at  his  home  in  Mississippi,  Dr.  T. 
found,  that,  according  to  previous  arrangement,  his 
wife  had  preceded  him  to  Knoxville,  Tenu.,  which 
place  they  had  determined  to  make  their  future  home. 
Their  only  living  daughter  and  youngest  child,  having 
married  a  Knoxville  gentleman,  and  removed  with  him 
to  that  city,  it  was  thought  best  not  to  separate  the 
parents  and  daughter.  Accordingly  it  was  determined 
that  the  house  which  their  son-in-law  had  built,  should 
be  the  home  of  all ;  and  Dr.  T.  removed  his  furniture 
from  Columbus,  Miss.,  to  Knoxville,  Tenn.  ;  and  the 
new  house  was  thus  neatly  furnished  and  fitted  up.  It 
is  an  excellent  dwelling  house,  and  nicely  and  com- 
modiously  arranged;  and  father  and  mother,  with 
their  daughter  and  son-in-law,  lived  most  comfortably 
together  in  this  commodious  habitation. 

D 

A  slight  indisposition  detained  Dr.  T.  in  Knoxville 
for  a  week,  after  joining  his  wife  in  that  city ;  and  then 
together  they  spent  some  three  weeks  at  Leo's  Springs, 
which  are  distant  about  twenty-two  miles  from  their 
home  in  Knoxville.  Dr.  T.  recuperated  rapidly  at  the 
Springs,  and  on  his  return  to  Knoxville  was  ready 
again  for  duty  in  the  field.  He  held  meetings  in  Sep- 


or  A  LONG  LIFE.  235 

ternber  and  the  first  part  of  October,  at  the  Cleveland, 
Jonesboro,  Old  Sweetwater,  and  Sweetwater,  village 
churches,  in  East  Tennessee.  In  all  of  these  churches 
his  efforts  were  blessed,  not  only  in  the  revival  of  the 
graces  of  God's  people,  and  in  reclaiming  back-sliders, 
but  also  in  the  conversion  of  souls. 

After  concluding  his  services  in  these  churches,  Dr. 
T.  attended  the  General  Association  of  East  Tennessee, 
which  held  its  anniversary  with  the  church  at  Cleve- 
land. Besides  delivering  several  addresses  on  various 
subjects  which  came  before  the  Association,  he  preached 
to  a  very  crowded  house  on  Sunday  night  from  the 
text,  "It  is  finished;"  and  delivered  a  lecture  on  Tues- 
day night  on  "THE  TRUE  WOMAN." 

It  was  now  time  for  him  to  return  to  Texas,  in  order 
to  complete  his  work  in  that  State.  During  his  stay 
in  East  Tennessee,  he  preached  78  sermons,  besides 
delivering  several  addresses,  and  all  the  exhortations 
connected  with  his  work  in  his  protracted  meetings. 
This  concluded  his  first  year's  work  as  a  General  Evan- 
gelist. During  the  year  he  had  held  all  the  meetings 
above  named  in  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Alabama,  Texas 
and  Tennessee;  and  had  preached  510  sermons,  besides 
all  the  other  labors  connected  with  his  work.  , 

On  his  way  to  Texas,  Dr.  T.  preached  two  sermons 
in  Columbus,  Miss.,  his  old  home  for  fourteen  years  ; 
two  in  Mobile,  Ala. ;  and  three  in  New  Orleans.  He 
reached  Galveston  on  Sunday  morning,  by  the  Morgan 
steamer,  and  preached  twice  that  day  for  Rev.  Dr. 
Howard,  in  the  Baptist  Church  in  that  city  ;  and  then 


23(5  BEMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

went  on,  early  on  Monday  morning,  to  commence  a 
meeting  in  Navasota. 

The  weather  proved  very  unpropitious  for  the  meet- 
ing in  Navasota.  It  rained  for  several  days;  and  then 
soon  after  the  rain  ceased,  the  first  severe  Norther  of 
the  season  set  in,  and  lasted  till  the  meeting  broke. 
The  church  being  unprovided  with  stoves,  the  Norther 
prevented,  to  a  great  extent,  the  expected  success  in 
the  meeting.  It  is  impossible  to  run  a  meeting  with 
much  success  in  one  of  those  Texas  Northers,  especially 
if  the  meeting  house  be  not  well  warmed.  Still,  many 
of  the  members  of  the  church  attended  the  meetings, 
and  professed  to  be  very  much  blessed  by  the  exer- 
cises. The  beginning  of  the  meeting  was  very  en- 
couraging; and  if  the  weather  had  been  propitious,  it 
is  believed  that  great  good  would  have  resulted  from 
the  efforts. 

From  Navasota,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Anderson,  the  county 
seat  of  Grimes  County,  ten  miles  distant  from  Nava- 
sota. Both  the  Navasota  and  Anderson  churches  were 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  J.  H.  Stribling,  who 
is  one  of  the  most  excellent  ministers  of  Texas,  and  is 
duly  appreciated  by  his  brethren.  The  meeting  at 
Anderson  was  a  grand  success.  It  was  thought  that 
they  had  never  held  a  meeting  in  that  place  before, 
which  produced  so  profound  an  impression  on  the  pub- 
lic mind,  as  that  meeting  did.  And  then  it  reached  a 
class  of  minds  hitherto  uninfluenced  by  the  preaching 
of  the  Word.  Mr.  Earle  had  visited  Anderson  during 

O 

his  tour  in  Texas ;  but  had  failed  to  effect  much  good 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  237 

at  that  place.  It  was  generally  conceded  that  Ander- 
son was  a  hard  place  in  relation  to  its  religious  suscepti- 
bilities. Dr.  T.  remained  in  Anderson  just  two  weeks. 
His  labors  there  were  greatly  esteemed  by  Christians 
generally  ;  and  nearly  thirty  were  added  to  the  church 
as  the  result  ?  the  meeting.  Most  of  the  accessions 
to  the  church  were  of  a  very  valuable  character ;  and 
the  Baptist  cause,  in  that  place,  was  considerably  ad- 
vanced by  the  labors  of  that  occasion.  The  influence 
of  the  meeting  was  highly  salutary  in  various  regards. 
From  Anderson,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Plantersville,  a 
village  in  the  same  county,  and  distant  some  sixteen 
miles  from  the  county  seat.  Here  he  found  Rev.  W. 
H.  Dodson  in  charge  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Mr. 
Dodson  was  an  efficient  young  pastor  ;  and  under  his 
untiring  labors,  a  very  elegant  and  commodious  church 
edifice  had  recently  been  completed  in  that  place.  For 
a  whole  week  the  weather  was  very  pleasant,  and  the 
labors  in  the  meeting  were  greatly  blessed.  About 
thirty  joyful  converts  professed  their  faith  in  Christ 
during  the  week.  But  a  storm  set  in  at  the  opening  of 
the  next  week,  which  turned  into  a  Norther  before  it 
subsided.  The  new  church  building  had  not  }ret  been 
supplied  with  stoves  ;  and  it  was  necessary  to  remove 
the  meetings  to  Mr.  James'  Academy.  Many  of  his 
students  had  become  the  happy  subjects  of  the  good 
work  of  grace  in  the  meeting.  Like  the  schools  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Shumate,  at  Jamestown,  and  Mr.  Hand,  at 
Tyler,  and  others  which  might  be  mentioned,  the 
school  of  Mr.  James  was  suspended  during  the  hour 


238  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

for  worship  in  the  morning  ;and  the  effects  here,  as  in 
those  other  places,  were  most  salutary  upon  the  pupils. 
The  meeting  at  Plantersville  lasted  some  ten  days,  "anu 
about  thirty-five  or  forty  were  hopefully  converted. 

From  Plantersville,  Dr.  T.  went  to  San  Marcos,  in 
South-western  Texas,  distant  about  thirty  miles  from 
Austin.  Here  he  found  a  little  band  of  good  brethren 
and  sisters  who  had  been  organized  into  a  church  a 
short  time  before.  Rev.  J.  S.  Abbott,  a  very  excel- 
lent and  godly  man,  was  serving  them  once  a  month. 
They  had  no  place  of  worship,  but  the  Campbellites 
gave  them  the  use  of  their  church  on  their  meeting  oc- 
casions ;  and  Dr.  T.  preached  in  this  house  during  his 
stay  in  San  Marcos.  He  went  there  with  the  view  of 
aiding  the  little  church,  and  strengthening  the  Baptist 
cause  at  that  place.  San  Marcos  had  grown  very  con- 
siderably within  the  two  preceding  years ;  and  the 
prospect  of  having  a  railroad  there  soon,  connecting 
the  place  on  the  one  hand  with  Austin,  and  on  the 
other  with  San  Antonia  and  Brownsville,  made  it  a 
point  of  considerable  interest.  And  then  in  point  of 
health,  especially  for  pulmonary  affections,  it  was  re- 
markably celebrated.  If,  when  railroad  communica- 
tion is  effected  between  San  Marcos  and  Austin,  a 
first-class  hotel  were  erected  in  that  village,  it  might 
soon  become  a  fain  or. ;  resort  for  invalids  from  every 
section  of  the  North.  This  will  ultimately  doubtless 
be  the  case. 

The  weather  was  very  unpropitious  for  the  meeting 
at  San  Marcos.  It  rained  on  the.  day  of  Dr.  T.'s  ar- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  239 

rival  there,  and  it  continued  to  rain  with  only  slight 
intermissions,  during  the  whole  time  of  his  stay  in  that 
place.  The  streets  were  not  paved  ;  and  the  side-walks, 
even,  were  not  provided  with  planks  for  the  accom- 
modation of  pedestrians.  .  The  mud  there  is  a  black 
mud,  almost  as  adhesive  as  tar  itself.  So  bad  do  the 
streets  and  the  walks  become  in  a  protracted  wet  spell, 
like  that  which  occurred  during  the  meeting  there,  that 
it  is  literally  impossible  for  ladies,  especially,  to  get 
out  to  church  in  such  a  condition  of  the  streets.  On 
several  occasions  during  the  meeting  not  a  single  lady 
was  present,  though  the  men  would  come  through  wet 
and  mud,  on  those  very  occasions,  to  the  number  of 
from  thirty  to  fifty  persons.  There  were  many  uncon- 
verted young  men  and  women  in  the  village  and  in  the 
surrounding  country,  whom  Dr.  T.  was  anxious  to 
reach.  But  the  great  inclemency  of  the  weather,  and 
the  bad  condition  of  the  roads  and  streets,  prevented 
them,  to  a  great  extent,  from  attending  the  meetings. 
Several,  however,  professed  hope  on  the  occasion,  and 
four  were  baptized  by  Dr.  T.  before  he  left  the  meet- 
ing. These  candidates  were  baptized  in  San  Marcos 
Lake,  from  which  the  San  Marcos  river  takes  its  rise. 
This  lake  is  formed  by  an  immense  spring  near  its 
centre  from  which  a  sufficient  quantity  of  water  boils 
up  to  form  the  San  Marcos  river.  This  river,  at  the 
ford,  just  below  the  lake,  is  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  wide,  and  two  feet  deep,  on  an  average,  and 
runs  at  the  rate  of  some  four  or  five  miles  per  hour. 
This  gives  a  pretty  correct  idea  of  the  quantity  of 


24(\  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

water  which  boils  up  in  the  lake.  And  then  it  is  as 
clear  as  crystal.  You  can  see  fish  in  the  lake  to  the 
depth  of  thirty  feet  distinctly.  It  was  about  Christ- 
mas when  this  baptism  occurred;  and  yet  the  water  in 
the  lake  seemed  almost  tepid.  It  was  much  more 
agreeable  than  the  atmosphere  at  that  time. 

One  of  the  candidates  was  a  young  lady  about  twenty 
years  of  age,  who  weighed  nearly  three  hundred 
pounds.  But  her  baptism  was  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful on  that  occasion.  She  was  self-possessed;  and 
then,  Dr.  T.  took  especial  pains  to  make  her  baptism 
impressive,  as  he  knew  considerable  curiosity  had  been 
excited  to  know  how  he,  being  a  small  man,  could 
baptize  so  large  a  person.  If  she  had  been  a  child  of 
ten  years  of  age,  and  weighing  only  sixty  pounds,  she 
could  not  have  been  baptized  with  greater  ease  and 
grace.  The  fact  is  Dr.  T.  had  baptized  so  many — over 
3000 — that  he  was  just  as  much  at  himself  in  the  water 
as  in  the  pulpit ;  and  he  always  took  pains  to  make 
that  symbolic  rite  as  impressive  as  possible. 

Dr.  T.  formed  a  number  of  acquaintances  at  San 
Marcos,  whom  he  prized  very  highly  ;and  he  expressed 
the  deepest  regret  that  the  object  of  his  visit  there, 
had  been  to  so  great  an  extent  defeated  by  the  remark- 
able inclemency  of  the  weather. 

From  San  Marcos  Dr.  T.  went  to  Mountain  City, 
and  spent  two  or  three  days  in  preaching  at  that  place. 
He  went  from  Mountain  City  to  Austin,  and  preached 
two  or  three  times  during  his  stay  in  Austin,  in  the 
Baptist  Church  ;  and  agreed  to  return  and  hold  a  meet- 


Or  A  LONG  LIFE.  241 

ing  there  a  few  weeks  afterwards.  He  then  went  to 
Bremond  and  Waco,  and  preached  a  few  days  in  each 
of  those  places.  In  Bremond,  a  severe  Norther  broke 
up  the  meeting,  as  it  was  impossible  to  make  the  shell 
of  a  house  in  which  the  Baptists  held  their  meetings, 
in  any  degree  comfortable. 

In  Waco,  the  meeting  went  on  for  a  week  with  con- 
stantly increasing  interest,  until  Sunday  night,  just  a 
week  after  the  meeting  began,  up  to  which  time  some 
six  or  eight  had  expressed  hope  in  Christ,  and  about 
twenty,  on  that  night,  had  requested  special  prayer 
for  their  salvation.  But  the  very  next  night  a  sform 
set  in,  which  soon  ran  into  one  of  the  severest  Northers 
of  the  winter.  It  was  so  severe  by  Tuesday  morning, 
that  nobody  went  out  of  doors,  who  could  well  avoid 
it ;  and  it  rather  increased  in  seventy  than  abated,  until 
the  Brazos  River  was  completely  frozen  over,  and  the 
ice  had  become  so  thick  that  persons  were  seen  skating 
on  it  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  It  was  attended,  too, 
with  a  considerable  fall  of  snow.  Of  course  the  meet- 
ing was  abruptly  suspended ;  and  before  the  Norther 
subsided,  Dr.  T.  was  compelled  to  leave,  in  order  to 
fill  his  appointment  at  Austin. 

On  his  return  to  Austin,  Dr.  T.  found  the  esteemed 
and  excellent  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church,  Rev. 
Henry  W.  Dodge,  D.  D.,  quite  ill;  and  his  affliction 
continued  through  the  whole  of  his  sta}r  in  that  city. 
The  Legislature  was  in  session  at  the  time;  and  so 
were  the  Supreme  Court  and  the  District  Court. 
These  circumstances,  while  they  probably  augmented 


242  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

the  size  of  the  congregations,  militated  against  the 
success  of  the  meeting.  The  attention  of  many  of  the 
brethren  was  so  occupied,  either  in  the  Courts,  or  in  the 
Legislature,  that  they  were  prevented  from  attending 
the  meetings  regularly  ;  and,  therefore,  failed  to  be- 
come as  deeply  interested  as  they  otherwise  would 
have  done,  in  the  progress  of  the  exercises.  But  the 
principal  difficulty,  after  all,  was  the  pastor's  illness, 
and  his  inability  to  be  present  in  the  meetings,  and  to 
visit  inquirers  and  others  during  the  progress  of  the 
work.  The  congregations  at  night  were  uniformly 
large  and  attentive  ;  and  Dr.  T.  was  heard  throughout 
the  meeting,  with  profound  attention  and  interest,  not 
only  by  the  citizens  generally,  but  also  by  the  lawyers 
and  legislators  who  honored  him  with  their  attendance. 
It  is  hoped  that  the  cause  of  entire  truth  at  the  capitol 
of  the  State,  was  promoted  by  the  exercises  of  the 
occasion  ;  and  that  the  seed  which  was  then  sown  and 
watered  with  tears,  will  yet  bring  forth  an  abundant 
harvest  to  the  glory  of  the  Divine  Name.  Austin  is  a 
hard  place ;  and  such  a  thing  as  a  general  revival  of  re- 
ligion there,  had  then  never  been  known  in  the  history 
of  the  place. 

The  meeting  at  Austin  completed  Dr.  T.'s  evangel- 
ical labors  in  Texas.  During  his  tours  in  Texas,  he 
had  obtained  quite  a  large  number  of  subscribers  for 
the  revised  edition  of  his  "REVIVAL  DISCOURSES;" 
and  as  the  book  was  now  ready  for  delivery,  he 
made  flying  visits  to  San  Marcos,  Mountain  City,  Aus- 
tin, Brenham,  Navasota,  Planters ville,  Br van,  Calvert, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  243 

Bremond,  Houston,  Huntsville,  Crocket,  Tyler, 
Jamestown,  Marshall  and  Jefferson,  and  delivered  the 
books  in  person  to  the  subscribers  in  these  several 
places.  He  sent,  also,  the  necessary  quantity  of  books 
to  supply  subscribers  in  Malin,  Waco  and  Galveston. 
About  five  hundred  copies  of  the  Discourses  were  thus 
distributed  in  Texas,  before  he  left  the  state. 

Dr.  T.  then  left  Texas,  and  visited  Shreveport,  La. 
He  spent  a  day  or  two  in  this  city,  but  preached  only 
a  single  sermon  in  that  place.  He  then  took  the 
Steamer  "Texas,"  for  Port  Hudson.  The  passengers 
on  the  "Texas"  desired  that  he  should  preach  at  least 
one  sermon  for  them,  which  he  did.  The  gentlemanly 
officers  of  the  steamer  presented  him  with  a  free  pas- 
sage, which  saved  him,  at  least,  fifteen  dollars. 

On  his  arrival  at  Port  Hudson,  Dr.  T.  took  the  horse 
cars  from  that  place  to  Clinton,  La.  From  Clinton, 
he  went  over  to  Jackson,  some  twelve  miles  distant,  to 
assist  the  excellent  pastor,  Rev.  S.  A  Hayden,  in  a 
series  of  religious  exercises.  Jackson  is  the  seat  of 
the  Centenary  College,  which  is  under  the  control  and 
patronage  of  the  Methodist  Conferences  of  South- 
western Mississippi  and  Eastern  Louisiana.  It  is  also 
the  seat  of  two  Female  Institutions  of  considerable 
note,  one  of  which  is  under  the  management  of  the 
Methodists,  and  the  other  of  the  Presbyterians. 
Jackson  is,  therefore,  strongly  under  the  influence  of 
Pedo-baptists.  The  Baptists,  for  the  previous  two  or 
three  years,  under  the  efficient  labors  of  Hayden,  had 
been  increasing  in  numbers  and  influence,  until  they 


244  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

occupied  a  fair  position  in  the  community,  socially, 
pecuniarily  and  morally.  Through  the  benefaction  of 
one  man  mainly,  who  has  since  gone  to  his  rest  and  re- 
ward, the  Baptists  have  a  most  excellent  house  of 
worship — the  best,  indeed,  in  the  place — and  the  con- 
gregations on  the  occasion  of  this  meeting,  were  very 
large  and  attentive.  Quite  a  number  professed  con- 
version in  the  meeting,  among  whom  was  a  Roman 
Catholic  gentleman,  whose  wife  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church  in  that  place.  Several  Pedo-baptists 
also  united  with  the  Baptist  Church  during  the  meeting 
among  whom  was  a  young  Methodist  preacher  of  con- 
siderable promise.  His  name  was  Rowan;  and  he 
afterwards  became  pastor  of  the  Central  Church  in 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  died  while  pastor  of  that  church. 
On  the  whole,  the  meeting  at  Jackson  was  productive 
of  great  good  in  various  ways.  The  graces  of  Chris- 
tians were  greatly  quickened  ;  a  number  of  sinners  were 
converted;  several  who  had  been  living  in  the  neglect 
of  the  duty  of  baptism,  were  induced  to  take  up  the 
cross  and  follow  Jesus  in  that  blessed  rite  ;  and  the  im- 
pression made  upon  the  community  at  large  in  favor  of 
the  cause  of  entire  timth,'vfa,s  very  favorable. 

From  Jackson,  Dr.  T.  returned  to  Clinton,  and  as- 
sisted Mr.  Hayden  there  in  another  series  of  mestings. 
Mr.  Hayden  was  pastor  of  this  church,  as  well  as  that 
at  Jackson.  A  little  more  than  a  year  before,  Dr.  T. 
had  held  a  meeting  in  Clinton  of  some  ten  days  con- 
tinuance, which  was  very  much  blessed.  The  church 
was  then  meeting  in  their  old  meeting-house,  which 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  245 

was  in  bad  repair,  and  very  uncomfortable  during  the 
cold  weather  which  prevailed  during  the  meeting. 

The  second  meeting  at  Clinton  was  as  greatly  bless- 
ed as  the  first ;  and  about  thirty  souls  united  with  the 
church  us  the  result  of  the  meeting.  It  was  expected 
that  the  new  meeting-house  would  be  ready  for  dedica- 
tion during  his  visit  there  on  this  occasion.  But  con- 
trary to  all  expectation,  the  contractor  so  delayed  the 
work  of  finishing  the  house,  that  the  dedication  ser- 
vices could  not  be  held  during  Dr.  T.'s  stay  in  the 
community.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  the  use  of  which  had  been  kindly  tendered 
to  the  Baptists,  while  their  own  house  was  in  progress 
of  erection. 

From  Clinton,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Osyka,  Miss.,  situa- 
ted on  the  New  Orleans  and  Great  Northern  Eailroad, 
about  ninety  miles  above  New  Orleans.  He  preached 
a  few  days  only  at  this  place.  A  large  crowd  were  at- 
tracted by  the  services,  and  several  conversions  occur- 
red in  the  meeting.  If  he  could  have  remained  a  few 
days  longer  there,  it  is  probable  much  more  good 
would  have  been  done.  But  he  desired  to  attend  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention, 
which  was  to  be  held  in  Mobile,  Ala.,  commencing  on 
Thursday  preceding  the  second  Sabbath  in  May,  and 
he  left  Osyka  for  that  purpose. 

Stopping  a  day  in  New  Orleans,  Dr.  T.  reached  Mo- 
bile on  Wednesday,  preceding  the  meeting  of  the 
Convention.  He  remained  in  Mobile  until  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Convention  was  concluded,  taking  full 


246  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

part    in     the   business   transacted   on  the    occasion. 

The  business  of  the  Convention  being  concluded, 
Dr.  T.  made  a  brief  visit  to  his  sons  and  their  families 
in  Columbus,  Miss. ;  and  then  hastened  on  to  his  home 
in  Knoxville.  He  had  been  absent  from  home  about 
seven  months ;  and  it  was  a  source  of  great  pleasure 
to  him  to  greet  the  loved  ones  at  home  once  more. 
Through  the  kind  providence  of  God,  both  he  and  his 
family  had  enjoyed  excellent  health  nearly  all  the  time 
of  their  long  separation  ;  and  an  offering  of  devout 
gratitude  to  the  Giver  of  their  innumerable  blessings 
was  then  made  by  the  re-united,  happy  household. 

After  a  few  days  sojourn  with  his  family,  Dr.  T. 
went  to  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  to  asssist  Rev.  T.  T. 
Eaton  in  a  series  of  meetings  in  his  church  in  that 
city.  He  remained  in  the  meeting  here  over  three 
weeks  ;  and  over  eighty  souls  were  added  to  the  church 
as  the  result  of  the  meeting,  and  the  continuance  of 
the  exercises  by  the  pastor  after  Dr.  T.  was  compelled 
to  leave.  This  meeting  put  the  Baptist  cause  in  Chat- 
tanooga in  the  front  rank  of  the  denominations  there, 
and  made  it  one  of  the  most  important  and  efficient 
churches  in  East  Tennessee.  When  the  brethren  shall 
have  erected  their  new  house  of  worship,  as  they  will 
do  as  soon  as  the  financial  condition  of  the  people  of 
the  city  will  justify  the  undertaking,  they  will  un- 
questionably take  the  lead  of  all  the  denominations  in 
the  city;  and  their  influence  for  good  will  be  felt 
throughout  the  whole  of  East  Tennessee,  and  the  ad- 
jacent sections  of  other  States. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  247 

Soon  after  Dr.  T.  left  Chattanooga,  he  went  to 
Gadsden,  Ala.,  to  assist  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Cloud,  in  .a 
series  of  meetings  with  his  church  in  that  place.  Here 
again  his  labors  were  greatly  blessed.  He  remained  in 
Gadsden  nearly  three  weeks.  Sixty  souls  were  added 
to  the  church  during  the  meeting ;  and  among  the  num- 
ber who  united  with  the  church  on  that  occasion,  were 
some  of  the  most  important  citizens  of  the  place.  One 
of  these  was  Col.  R.  B.  Kyle,  one  of  the  most  intelli- 
gent and  influential  men  in  all  that  section  of  county. 
When  he  espoused  the  cause  of  Christ,  he  brought  to 
its  service  all  his  cultivated  talents,  and  all  his  per- 
sonal, social  and  business  influence.  His  zeal  and  de- 
votion to  the  cause  of  true  religion,  and  his  desire  and 
prayer  for  the  conversion  of  his  friends,  are  indicated 
in  the  following  expostulation  which  he  addressed  to 
Chancellor  Foster,  with  whom  he  was  very  intimate, 
soon  after  his  conversion : 

"GADSDEN,  ALA.,  July  25,  1873. 

Dear  Chancellor:  I  know  you  do  not  doubt  my 
friendship  and  esteem.  You  know,  Chancellor,  you 
have  for  years  been  my  ideal  of  a  gentlemanly  scholar 
and  professional  man  ;  that  I  have  admired  you  for  the 
noble  gifts  which  you  enjoy,  and  loved  you  as  only 
men  of  your  temperament  and  mine  can  love  each 
other.  Since  I  first  met  you,  I  have  felt  a  spiritual 
affinity  for  you,  and  have  believed  in  your  noble  per- 
son I  had  one  of  my  best  and  truest  friends.  'Now, 
then,'  (this  is  a  favorite  expression  with  the  Chancellor 
when  arguing  his  cases),  these  premises  being  correct, 


248  REMINISCENCES  AXD  INCIDENTS 

will  you  not  pardon  me  for  intruding  upon  you,  in  a 
brief  way,  the  history  of  a  religious  meeting  presided 
over  by  Dr.  Teasdale,  a  Baptist  Evangelist.  I  think  I 
hear  you  exclaim  :  'Baptist  Evangelist,  indeed  !  I  did 
not  know  that  the  ignorant  Baptists  ever  aspired  to 
any  thing  above  a  one-horse  preacher.'  Well,  Dr.  Teas- 
dale  is  a  Baptist  Evangelist,  a  man  of  God,  a  learned 
man,  a  scientific  man,  a  finished  scholar,  a  man  of  the 
most  refined  and  cultivated  taste,  and  yet  a  man  of 
forty  years'  experience  in  the  gospel  ministry ;  and  I 
say  it  with  due  respect,  that,  as  a  pulpit  orator,  he  is 
the  peer  of  any  man  I  have  ever  heard,  be  he  Bishop, 
Clergyman,  or  Minister.  He  is  just  such  a  preacher 
as  I  have  long  felt  in  my  heart  you  could  be  ; — a  man 
that  possesses  wonderful  powers  of  explanation,  argu- 
ment and  persuasion,  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
human  nature.  Well,  such  a  man  must  and  will  accom- 
plish much  good  in  any  field,  even  in  the  stony  ground 
in  and  around  Gadsden.  How  often  during  the  past 
ten  days  has  my  mind  recurred  to  you  ;  and  in  my  in- 
most heart  I  have  said,  Oh  !  that  Foster  was  here; — 
that  I  had  him  chained  to  my  side,  that  he  might  be 
forced  to  hear  this  man  of  God,  as  he  reasons  of  man's 
depravity  and  Christ's  divinity,  and  all  the  sublime 
truths  of  the  remedial  scheme  of  the  gospel ;  and  above 
all  to  have  had  you  hear  him  tear  down  and  trample 
under  foot  all  the  sophistries  of  skepticism  and  in- 
fidelity;— have  you  hear  him,  as  step  by  step,  he  ad- 
vances in  unanswerable  argument,  proving  that  man 
without  a  Mediator — man  without  the  saving  in- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  249 

fluence  of  Divine  interposition  must   be   forever   lost. 

Chancellor !  I  know  your  great  mind  would  have 
grasped  these  truths,  as  no  other  man's  mind  in  this 
section  of  country  could,  or  has  done.  'Oh !  but,'  say 
you,  'it  is  all  fiddlesticks,  Kyle.  You  have  only  allow- 
ed yourself  to  forget  yourself.  You  have  been  carried 
away  with  excitement.  I  pity  you,  my  poor,  excited 
friend.'  Not  so,  Chancellor!  My  judgment  has 
been  convinced.  I  have  been  driven  horse,  foot  and 
dragoon  from  the  field  of  skepticism  and  infidelity, 
and  forced  to  ground  my  arms,  and  make  an  uncondi- 
tional surrender  to  the  Prince  of  peace. 

'Now  then,  let  us  look  back  a  little.  You  and  I 
have  been  traveling  along  the  down-hill  of  life,  as  we 
have  thought,  just  on  the  edge  of  the  broad  road.  We 
have  imagined  that  we  were  not  mingling  with  the 
throng  of  base,  low-born  creatures,  that,  living  in  de- 
bauchery and  crime,  crowd  the  way  that  leads  to 
death.  We  have  ever  felt  that  we  could  not  go  in 
such  company  as  this  ;  but  that  we  had  a  few  chosen 
friends,  gentlemen,  scholars,  professional  men,  rail- 
road princes,  manufacturers  and  merchants,  that  bore 
us  more  respectable  companionship.  'Well;'  I  went 
along  with  you  doubtingly.  My  heart  has  ever  felt 
that  you  and  I  were  both  doing  violence  to  our  better 
natures  : — that  we  were  made  for  higher  and  more  holy 
purposes  than  we  were  aiming  at.  And  now,  Chan- 
cellor, I  have,  after  calm  deliberation,  parted  company 
with  you.  And  oh  !  how  sad  I  feel  at  this  thought ! 
You  and  I  have  both  contended  that  man  progressed 


250  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

after  death.  Well,  this  must  be  true  in  the  happy 
land.  We  will  progress  in  love,  in  purity,  in  virtue, 
in  knowledge;  but  in  that  other  world,  among  the 
spirits  of  the  lost,  man  must  progress  also.  What  a 
fearful  thought !  Progress  in  misery ;  progress  in  re- 
morse ;  progress  in  undying  anguish !  And  then, 
Foster,  men,  in  that  land  of  doomed  spirits,  cannot 
select  their  company.  They  must  consort  with  thieves, 
with  murderers,  with  devils.  And  just  think  of  such 
a  soul  as  God  has  given  you  being  doomed  to  dwell 
forever  with  the  damned !  And  then  think  of  your 
capacity  for  heavenly  joy !  But,  Chancellor,  I  cannot 
attempt  to  lead  you.  You  know  the  way.  I  have 
heard  you  in  some  of  those  grand  perorations  at  the 
Bar*  in  tones  of  such  eloquence,  speak  of  God's  mercy, 
of  God's  justice,  that  my  very  hair  has  stood  on  end; 
and  under  the  influence  of  your  eloquence,  as  an  ad- 
vocate, I  have  felt  my  heart  swell  within  me,  and  al- 
most cease  to  beat,  in  sympathy  with  your  client ;  and 
I  have  exclaimed  within  myself,  oh !  what  a  preacher 
he  would  have  made !  Oh!  my  dear  friend,  I  give  it 
as  my  opinion,  that,  with  your  bright  genius  and  glow- 
ing eloquence,  you  could  do  more  to  lift  up  and  carry 
aloft  the  blood-stained  banner  of  the  cross,  than  a 
score  of  ordinary  men  could  do.  Just  think  of  it  I 
Your  life  has  been  spent  until  you  have  passed  the 
meridian,  in  efforts  to  save  the  physical  lives,  liberty 
and  property  of  your  fellow-men  ;  but  how  much 
greater,  and  grander,  and  more  glorious  is  the  work  of 
saving  the  immortal  souls  of  men.  And  then  what  a 


OF  A  LONG  LITE.  251 

field  for  the  exercise  of  your  God-given  powers !  I 
tell  you,  my  friend,  God  will  hold  you  to  a  fearful  ac- 
count. He  has  endowed  you  with  a  genius,  that  when 
compared  with  most  other  men,  is  truly  resplendent. 
And  oh!  how  have  you  used  these  mighty  talents?  I 
fear,  in  blocking  the  way  of  eternal  life.  You  and  I 
have  both  done  much  in  this  country  to  build  up  skep- 
ticism, and  tear  down  the  banner  of  the  Prince  of 
peace.  I  beg  you,  now,  my  dear  friend,  come  and 
help  me  repair  the  errors  of  a  misspent  life. 

I  have  written  this  crude  epistle  in  my  office,  with 
constant  interruptions  of  business,  and,  therefore,  ask 
you  to  overlook  its  disconnections,  and  take  it  simply 
as  the  outpouring  of  a  heart  full  of  love  for  you.  And 
Oh !  Chancellor,  may  God  grant  when  I  next  meet 
you,  you  can  at  least  extend  to  me  the  hand  of  Chris- 
tian fellowship.  I  know  your  life-long  prejudices 
against  what  you  have  termed  the  poor,  ignorant  Bap- 
tists; and  I  fear  even  to  hope,  that  you  can  ever  so  far 
overcome  these  prejudices  as  to  go  down  into  the  water 
as  your  Savior  did  ;  but  I  pray  that  God  may  direct 
and  bless  you.  And  I  will  be  ineffably  happy  to 
know  that  you  have  taken  up  your  cross,  even  should 
you  go  with  some  other  denomination.  But  I  hope  your 
great  mind  will  lead  you  to  believe,  that  the  simplest 
religion — the  one  freest  from  worldly  creeds  and  doc- 
trines, is,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  the  safest  ;  and  in  this 
matter  you  and  I  can  not  afford  to  take  any  chances. 
A  plain,  Bible  religion  will  certainly  do  to  rely  on. 
Oh !  how  I  long  to  hear  that  God  in  his  nu-rcy  has  put 


252  REMINISCENCES  AXD  INCIDENTS 

it  into  your  heart  to  say:  'Kyle,  with  God's  help  I 
will  try  and  be  a  Christian.'  Do  write  to  me.  I  shall 
long  to  hear  from  you. 

Yours  truly  and  affectionately, 

R.  B.  KYLE." 

To  this  earnest   and  tender  appeal  the  following  re- 
ply was  duly  received  : 

"JACKSONVILLE,  ALA.,  July  30,  1873. 
My  Dear  Kyle:  I  shall  to-day  merely  acknowledge 
the  receipt  of  your  letter,  which  has  deeply  affected 
me,  and  awakened  emotions  and  feelings  strange  and 
indefinable.  I  know  not  what  to  say.  I  can  not  con- 
vey to  you  the  impression  that  has  been  made  upon 
me.  I  know  you  to  be  my  friend — my  true,  sincere 
friend.  I  know  you  to  be  a  man  of  rare  intelligence 
and  moral  excellence — possessed  with  a  spirit  congen- 
ial with  mine,  cultivated  and  enlarged  by  reading  and 
intercourse  with  the  world.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, the  appeal  you  make  to  me  has  produced  a 
more  powerful  effect  than  all  the  sermons  to  which  I 
ever  listened.  I  can  truly  say,  'Almost  thou  persuad- 
est  me,  to  be  a  Baptist,  The  suggestions  you  make 
as  to  my  past  and  future,  have  often  occurred  to  me. 
I  have  often  thought  how  dreadful  was  that  awful  leap 
into  the  great,  dim  unknown ;  and  I  well  know  that  my 
sun  is  hanging  low  in  the  West,  and  the  shadows  of 
eternity  lengthening  across  my  path.  But  for  the  pre- 
sent I  must  forbear.  Profoundly  grateful  for  the  in- 
terest you  manifest  in  my  welfare,  temporal  and 
eternal — feeling  in  this  void  wilderness  you  are  one  of 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  253 

the  few  I  can  esteem  and  love,  and  that  in  a  short  time 
I  will  fully  unbosom  myself  to  you — let  you  see  my 
inmost  heart,  I  remain  truly, 

Your  friend, 

JOHN  FOSTER." 


254  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER  XII. 


The  next  meeting  which  Dr.  T.  held  was  with  the 
Baptist  Church  at  Huntsville,  Ala.,  Rev.  B.  W.  Bus- 
sey,  pastor.  The  congregations  here  were  large  and 
attentive  ;  but  owing  to  a  combination  of  untoward  cir- 
cumstances, the  success  in  the  meeting  was  not  very 
great.  Some  twelve  or  fifteen  professed  hope  in 
Christ  during  the  progress  of  the  meetirg;  and  Chris- 
tians seemed  to  be  very  much  revived  and  benefitted. 
It  was  believed  that  the  labors  of  this  meeting  would 
redound  to  the  advancement  of  the  Baptist  cause  in  that 
town  to  a  much  greater  extent  than  the  immediate  re- 
sults would  seem  to  indicate. 

After  the  close  of  his  labors  in  Huntsville,  Dr.  T. 
made  a  tour  through  portions  of  Alabama,  and  Missis- 
sippi in  the  interests  of  the  East  Tennessee  University, 
located  in  Knoxville,  Tenn.  This  is  a  State  Institu- 
tion, and  is  largely  endowed.  Dr.  T.  had  been  elect- 
ed, in  July,  of  that  year,  to  the  chair  of  Rhetoric  and 
Elocution  in  this  University  ;  and  before  taking  his  seat 
in  that  chair,  he  had  obtained  permission  to  canvass  for 
a  few  months  in  the  Southern  States,  with  a  view  of  in- 
creasing the  patronage  of  the  University  from  that  quar- 
ter. Accordingly,  he  made  a  hasty  trip,  as  above  stated, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  255 

through  portions  of  Alabama  and  Mississippi,  preach- 
ing at  various  points  as  he  passed  along.  He  preached 
first  at Decatur,  Ala.;  then  at  Eutavv  ;  and  then  at 
Livingston.  Besides  those  points  he  visited  Demopolis, 
and  one  or  two  other  places  in  that  vicinity,  and  then 
passed  on  to  Meridian,  Miss.  He  spent  a  night  and  a 
day  at  this  point ;  and  then  he  visited  Columbus,  West 
Point,  Aberdeen,  and  Corinth  in  that  State,  preaching 
as  he  went,  and  canvassing  for  the  University. 

Having  completed  this  tour  Dr.  T.  spent  a  few  days 
with  his  family  in  Knoxville,  and  then  went  to  Browns- 
ville, West  Tennessee,  to  assist  the  pastor,  Rev.  D.  P. 
Bond,  in  a  protracted  meeting  in  that  town.  The  meet 
ing  at  this  place  was  wonderfully  blessed.  The  pastor, 
assisted  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Griffin,  of  Milan,  had  been 
conducting  religious  exercises  nearly  a  week  when  Dr. 
T.  arrived  in  Brownsville.  But  except  some  little  in- 
crease of  interest  in  the  minds  of  some  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  no  apparent  concern  was  evinced 
in  the  progress  of  the  meeting.  The  Baptists  had 
sold  their  meeting-house,  and  were  then  engaged  in 
the  erection  of  a  large  and  elegant  brick  edifice,  on  a 
commanding  site  near  the  centre  of  the  city.  After 
giving  up  their  old  house  of  worship,  they  had  been 
meeting  in  the  commodious  chapel  of  the  Female  Col- 
lege, belonging  to  the  denomination  in  that  city.  As 
the  College  is  located  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  it 
was  found  to  be  inconvenient  for  the  mass  of  the  con- 
gregation to  attend  night  meetings  there.  The  Cum- 
berland Presbyterians  kindly  offered  the  use  of  their 


256  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS  . 

meeting-house  for  the  occasion  ;  and  when  Dr.  T.  ar- 
rived, the  meetings  were  being  held  in  that  house  of 
worship.  He  preached  there  on  Saturday  morning 
and  Saturday  night,  and  also  on  Sunday  morning. 
But  it  was  found  that  this  house  was  too  small  to  ac- 
commodate the  congregation.  The  Old  School  Pres- 
byterian brethren  then  offered  the  use  of  their  house 
for  the  meetings,  and  on  Sunday  night  the  meetings 
were  transferred  to  their  meeting-house.  This  edifice 
was  nearly  one-third  larger  than  that  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterians  ;  but  it  was  filled  to  overflowing  the 
first  night  the  meeting  was  held  there,  notwithstanding 
the  weather  was  unpropitious,  and  it  actually  rained 
while  the  people  were  gathering  into  the  church.  The 
meetings  were  continued  in  this  place  for  a  week,  day 
and  night,  with  constantly  increasing  interest.  But 
as  the  meeting-house  was  too  small  to  meet  the  exigen- 
cies of  the  occasion,  the  Methodists  kindly  tendered 
the  use  of  their  meeting-house  for  the  occasion.  This 
is  much  the  largest  church  edifice  in  the  city.  But  so 
deep  and  general  was  the  interest  in  the  meetings,  at 
that  time,  that  this  spacious  house  was  filled  to  over- 
flowing the  first  night  the  meeting  was  held  there. 
Indeed,  such  was  the  interest  in  the  exercises  then,  that 
even  the  morning  meetings,  at  11  o'clock,  filled  the 
spacious  edifice  with  solemn,  earnest  worshippers.  All 
the  denominations  of  the  city  attended  upon  the  exer- 
cises, and  evinced  the  deepest  interest  in  the  progress 
of  the  good  work.  Dr.  T.  did  all  the  preaching  on 
the  occasion ;  and  in  connection  with  the  esteemed 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  257 

Baptist  pastor,  controlled  all  the  exercises.  It  rarely 
happens,  however,  that  so  general  a  co-operation  is 
secured  in  the  progress  of  a  meeting,  on  the  part  of 
all  Christians,  as  was  evinced  on  this  occasion.  Both 
the  ministers  and  the  members  of  all  the  denomina- 
tions in  the  city,  labored  earnestly  to  give  enlarged 
success  to  the  meeting.  There  was  as  little  of  the 
spirit  of  sectarianism  evinced  during  the  meeting  as  is 
ever  found  on  such  an  occasion.  And  the  result  show- 
ed the  advantage  of  the  course  pursued  to  all  the  de- 
nominations in  the  city.  Large  accessions  were  made 
to  most  of  the  denominations  whose  pastors  and  mem- 
bers co-operated  in  the  meeting.  But  besides  the 
numerous  conversions  which  occurred  during  the  meet- 
ing, the  Christians  of  all  denominations  were  greatly 
blessed  in  their  own  souls.  They  sought  and  obtained 
a  higher  degree  of  Christian  consecration  than  that 
which  .they  had  previously  enjoyed  ;  and  the  spirit  of 
true  brotherly  love  among  them,  was  greatly  promo- 
ted. Some  idea  of  the  success  of  the  meeting,  and 
the  estimation  placed  upon  the  labors  of  Dr.  T.  on 
this  occasion,  may  be  obtained  from  the  following 
notice  of  the  meeting  in  one  of  the  city  papers,  after 
Dr.  T.  had  closed  his  labors,  and  left  the  place. 

"Bev.  Dr.  Teasdale,  who  has  been  holding  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  in  this  city  for  the  past  three  weeks, 
closed  his  series  of  sermons  on  Wednesday  morning 
last.  He  has  done  more  for  the  cause  of  religion  in 
this  place  than  any  man  who  has  ever  visited  us.  He 
began  by  uniting  all  the  different  denominations  in  the 


25$  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

meeting,  and  working  for  the  general  good  of  every 
church.  There  have  been  over  two  hundred  and  fifty 
converted  ;  how  many  will  give  themselves  to  the 
churches,  we  don't  know.  Dr.  Teasdale  is  one  of  the 
most  eloquent  men  we  have  ever  listened  to.  He 
seemed  to  exercise  an  influence  over  his  congregation 
which  no  other  man  has  been  able  to  get  that  has  ever 
visited  us.  His  sermons  were  all  long,  but  his  delivery 
was  such  that  it  held  all  who  came  under  the  sound  of 
his  voice  spell-bound.  We  hope  that  all  who  have  put 
on  the  garb  of  Christianity,  may  grow  up  'shining 
lights'  in  the  churches  to  which  they  may  attach  them- 
selves, and  thank  God  for  the  day  that  brought  this 
Christian  gentleman  among  us." 

From  Brownsville,  Dr.  T.  returned  to  Knoxville, 
and  immediately  went  on  to  Morristown,  to  attend  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  General  Association  of  East 
Tennessee.  The  session  of  this  body  was  one  of  un- 
usual interest.  It  was  thought  that  it  was  the  most 
interesting  and  profitable  meeting  of  the  General  Asso- 
tion  ever  held.  The  discussion  of  the  Report  on  For- 
eign Missions,  prepared  by  Dr.  T.,  elicited  a  great  deal 
of  interest,  and  resulted,  in  cash  contributed  and  pledges 
made,  in  raising  more  than  $800  on  the  spot  for  the 
Foreign  Mission  work.  The  subject  of  Home  Missions 
also  excited  much  interest,  and  cash  and  pledges  were 
given  to  the  Mission  Board  amounting  to  $500.  The 
subject  of  Ministerial  Education  received  considerable 
attention,  and  a  handsome  sum  was  contributed  and 
pledged  for  that  cause.  But  the  subject  which  excited 


OF  A  LONG  LI  I  K. 

more  interest  than  any  other,  during  the  session  of 
this  body,  and  especially  of  the  Educational  Conven- 
tion, which  met  in  connection  with  the  General  Asso- 
ciation, was  the  establishment  of  a  denominational  paper 
in  East  Tennessee,  by  which  the  40,000  Baptists  of 
that  section  of  the  State  might  be  aroused  to  action  in 
relation  to  our  educational  interests,  and  our  mission 
work.  The  plan  proposed  was  to  raise,  by  joint  stock 
subscriptions,  the  sum  of  $10,000,  as  a  basis  for  com- 
mencing the  publication  of  the  proposed  periodical. 
With  this  amount  of  money  in  hand,  it  was  believed 
that  some  arrangement  might  be  effected  with  a  job 
printing  office,  already  well  established,  by  which  the 
undertaking  to  establish  a  Baptist  paper  for  East  Ten- 
nessee, would  be  made  a  certain  success,  and  at  the 
same  time  secure  the  stockholders,  at  least,  against 
serious  loss,  even  in  the  beginning  of  the  work.  And, 
then,  as  the  paper  obtained  general  circulation  among 
the  numerous  Baptists  of  East  Tennessee,  it  was 
thought  that  it  might  be  made  remunerative  to  the 
stockholders.  The  whole  subject  was  finally  referred 
to  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  General  Associa- 
tion, and  the  Board  of  the  Educational  Convention, 
with  instructions  to  adopt  such  measures,  as  in  their 
judgment,  might  be  best  adapted  to  secure*  the  pro- 
posed end.  At  the  next  meeting  of  these  Boards, 
measures  were  inaugurated  to  consummate,  if  possible, 
the  plan  proposed,  and  to  secure,  as  soon  as  practica- 
ble, the  joint  stock  subscriptions  necessary  to  insure 
the  success  of  the  undertaking.  Rev.  I.  B.  Kimbrough 


260  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

and  two  competent  assistants,  were  appointed  as  agents 
to  consummate  this  work.  Dr.  T.  was  elected  First- 
Vice  President  of  the  Educational  Convention,  and  u 
member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  General 
Association,  and  gave  his  influence  and  experience  in 
the  inauguration  of  the  plans  by  which  the  proposed 
denominational  organ  might  be  established. 

After  the  General  Association  had  closed  its  session, 
Dr.  T.  returned  to  Knoxville,  intending  to  spend  only 
a  day  or  two  at  home,  and  then  go  on  to  his  appoint- 
ments at  other  points.  But  in  the  prayer-meeting  on 
Wednesday  night,  in  which  he  was  requested  to  make 
some  remarks,  a  desire  was  awakened  in  the  hearts  of 
both  pastor  and  people,  that  they  might  have  a  revival 
in  the  church  in  Knoxville  ;  and  Dr.  T.  was  urged  to 
remain  and  conduct  a  protracted  meeting  there.  As 
Knoxville  was  his  home,  and  his  membership  was  with 
that  church,  he  felt  a  special  solicitude  for  the  pros- 
perity of  the  cause  in  that  city,  and  the  building  up  of 
that  church  particularly ;  and  he  yielded  to  the  solicita- 
tions of  the  pastor,  and  of  the  brethren,  and  consented 
to  postpone  other  engagements,  and  remain  for  a  season 
in  Knoxville,  in  order  to  aid  in  a  series  of  meetings  in 
that  city.  He  labored  in  the  meeting  in  Knoxville 
about  two  weeks.  During  that  time  an  interest  was 
awakened  in  the  church  and  congregation  which  re- 
sulted in  the  conversion  of  many  souls;  and  Dr.  Mays, 
the  efficient  pastor,  who  continued  the  meetings  for 
several  weeks  after  Dr.  T.  left,  was  permitted  to  bap- 
tize into  the  fellowship  of  his  church  a  number  of 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  261 

happy  converts.  The  work  spread  into  other  churches, 
and  a  general  revival  throughout  the  city  was  the 
happy  result. 

From  the  meeting  at  Knoxville,  Dr.  T.  went  out  to 
Sweetwater,  and  preached  at  that  place  on  Saturday 
night,  and  twice  on  the  following  Sunday,  and  then 
went  on  to  Scottsboro,  Ala.,  to  hold  a  meeting  for  a 
few  days  in  that  place.  He  expected  to  begin  his 
meeting  on  Tuesday  night,  but  as  he  reached  there 
about  half  past  9  o'clock  the  night  before,  the 
brethren  concluded  they  would  improvise  a  meeting 
at  11  o'clock,  on  Tuesday  morning.  Accordingly  the 
notice  was  circulated,  as  much  as  practicable,  and  the 
meeting  was  held  according  to  appointment.  Un- 
fortunately, however,  a  heavy  rain  set  in  before  the 
hour  of  meeting,  and  so  severe  was  the  storm  that  not 
a  lady  was  present  in  the  meeting  that  morning.  But 
notwithstanding  the  rain,  there  were  about  thirty  men 
in  attendance.  At  night,  though  the  weather  was  still 
unpropitious,  the  congregation  was  quite  large.  The 
rainy  season  continued  until  Saturday  morning.  The 
weather  then  became  pleasant,  and  the  interest  in  the 
meeting  advanced  as  long  as  he  remained  in  the  place. 
Several  professed  hope  in  Christ  during  his  stay  in 
Scottsboro,  and  some  twenty  persons  requested  special 
prayer  before  he  left.  A  good  beginning  was  made  in 
the  meeting  before  he  closed  his  labors  there  ;  and  he 
urged  the  pastor,  Rev.  John  J.  Beeson,  and  the  breth- 
ren, by  all  means  to  go  on  with  the  meeting.  Four  of 
the  seven  days  that  Dr.  T.  spent  in  Scottsboro,  were 


262  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

unpropitious  for  the  meeting.  It  rained  every  day, 
and  the  streets  were  muddy,  and  the  nights  very  dark 
most  of  the  time.  Taking  all  the  circumstances  inj,o 
account,  the  impression  produced  by  the  labors  of  Dr. 
T.,  during  his  short  stay  in  Scottsboro,  was  truly  re- 
markable. 

From  Scottsboro,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Hopkinsville,  Ky., 
to  assist  the  pastor,  Rev.T.  G.  Keen,  D.  D.,  in  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  with  his  church  in  that  town.  Hop- 
kinsville is  the  county  seat  of  Christian  County,  and  is 
a  place  of  considerable  importance.  The  Baptist 
Church  there  is  composed  of  many  of  the  first  people 
in  the  place;  and  in  its  social  status  it  is  equal,  if  not 
superior,  to  any  Christian  organization  in  the  city. 

The  meeting  at  Hopkinsville  was  a  pleasant  one,  and 
not  without  profit  to  the  good  cause  in  that  city ;  but 
the  number  of  accessions  was  not  great. 

Having  finished  his  work  in  Hopkinsville,  Dr.  T.  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Knoxville.  He  spent  only  a 
short  time  with  his  family  at  home,  and  then  went  on 
to  Lexington,  Va.,  the  seat  of  Washington  and  Lee 
University,  to  assist  Rev.  Mr.  Barron,  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  Church  at  that  place,  in  a  series  of  meetings. 
The  beginning  of  the  meeting  promised  well ;  but  the 
holidays  came  on,  and  a  terrible  scene  of  dissipation 
ensued,  from  .which  it  was  impossible  to  regain  the  in- 
terest. Dr.  T.  was  honored  by  the  attendance  of  many 
of  the  students,  both  from  the  University  and  the 
State  Military  Institute  ;  and  also  by  the  Professors  of 
these  Institutions.  Mrs.  Jackson,  widow  of  the  late 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  263 

Gen.  Jackson,  who  immortalized  himself  in  the  late 
war,  was  also  among  his  attentive  hearers.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  the  accessions,  though  comparatively  few, 
were  of  great  advantage  to  our  cause  in  that  town. 

Dr.  T.  visited  the  different  Professors  in  the  Univer- 
sity, and  endeavored  to  familiarize  himself  with  the 
methods  of  instruction  which  were  employed  in  the  TJni- 
versity,  as  well  as  the  police  regulations  of  the  institu- 
tion. And  as  he  expected  to  take  his  chair  in  the 
East  Tennessee  University,  as  Professor  of  Rhetoric 
and  Elocution,  at  the  opening  of  the  next  term  of  that 
University,  he  was-  especially  anxious  to  get  all  the 
information  he  could,  in  reference  to  the  duties  of  his 
chair.  He  found  the  Professors  uniformly  polite  and 
accommodating,  and  the  pleasure  of  his  stay  in  Lex- 
ington was  enhanced  by  the  courteous  attentions  which 
he  received  from  them. 

From  Lexington,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Charlottesville,  the 
seat  of  the  University  of  Virginia.  He  was  hospit- 
ably entertained  during  his  stay  in  Charlottesville,  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Long,  then  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in 
that  place.  He  was  introduced  to  the  various  Profes- 
sors of  the  University,  by  his  friend,  Prof.  Davis,  who 
was  filling,  with  so  much  credit  to  himself  and  to  the 
institution,  the  chair  of  moral  science  in  the  Univer- 
sity. Here  too,  Dr.  T.  made  extensive  observations, 
and  acquired  whatever  knowledge  he  could,  which  he 
thought  might  aid  him  in  his  chair  in  the  Tennessee 
University.  Prof.  Holmes,  the  distinguished  Profes- 
sor of  Belles-Lettres,  was  particularly  courteous  and 


264  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

obliging  to  him.  Dr.  T.'s  stay  in  Charlottes ville,  and 
his  repeated  visits  to  the  University,  were  made  very 
pleasant,  and  profitable  to  him  by  the  kind  attentions 
bestowed  upon  him. 

From  Charlottsville,  Dr.  T.  went  on  to  Washington 
City,  to  visit  Columbian  University,  and  spend  a  sea- 
son with  his  old  friends  in  the  field  of  his  former 
pastoral  labors.  It  was  a  rich  source  of  pleasure  to 
him  to  mingle  once  more  with  the  friends  of  other 
days,  and  exchange  greetings  with  those  whom  he  had 
known,  and  whom  he  had  learned  to  love  so  dearly, 
during  his  seven  years'  pastorate  there.  During  his 
stay  in  Washington,  he  made  repeated  visits  to  the 
Columbian  University,  and  mingled  freely  with  the 
Professors,  most  of  whom  were  there  during  his  res- 
idence in  that  city;  and  from  them  he  also  gleaned 
all  he  could,  the  better  to  fit  him  for  his  work  in  his 
own  chair. 

While  in  Washington  the  week  of  prayer  was  ob- 
served, under  the  auspices  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  Associa- 
tion, every  day,  at  12  in.,  in  Lincoln  Hall;  and  at 
night,  in  the  various  churches  according  to  previous  ar- 
rangements. Dr.  T.  attended  aud  took  part  in  many 
of  these  meetings.  Prior  to  the  meetings  of  the  week 
of  prayer,  the  "Woman's  Rights'  Society"  held 
their  annual  meeting,  in  Lincoln  Hall.  It  was  a  full 
meeting  of  the  "strong-minded  women,"  from  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  country.  There  were  some  very 
talented  women  in  attendance  upon  that  meeting ;  and 
Dr.  T.  expressed  himself  as  pleased  at  the  exhibition 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  265 

of  so  much  talent  among  those  women,  but  thought 
though,  all  the  time,  "The  best  of  woman's  rights,  is 
the  right  to  be  a  woman." 

At  the  earnest  request  of  the  pastor  and  church  in 
South  Washington,  Dr.  T.  consented  to  assist  them  in 
a  series  of  meetings  before  he  left  the  city.  He  re- 
mained and  labored  with  this  people  about  three  weeks. 
His  labors  in  this  meeting  were  greatly  blessed.  The 
pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Meador,  went  on  with  the  meeting, 
with  such  help  as  he  could  procure,  for  a  considerable 
time  after  Dr.  T.  left ;  and  the  result  was  that  over  a 
hundred  souls  were  added  to  that  church  alone,  as  the 
result  of  that  revival. 

On  the  last  Sunday  of  his  stay  in  Washington,  Dr. 
T.,  by  request  of  the  officers  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  preached  in  Lincoln  Hall,  in  the 
afternoon,  to  a  very  large  congregation,  on  the  un- 
pardonable sin.  On  the  same  night  he  preached  his 
closing  sermon  in  the  series  of  meetings  in  the  South 
Washington  Church.  The  house  was  filled  to  its  ut- 
most capacity  ;  and  after  bringing  into  requisition  all 
the  extra  seats  for  which  space  could  be  found,  many 
went  away  for  want  of  room  to  stand  even,  in  the 
spacious  edifice.  The  sermon  was  listened  to  with 
profound  attention,  and  the  impression  made  upon  the 
audience  was  thought  to  be  very  good. 

Dr.  T.  returned  from  Washington  to  his  home  in 
Knoxville ;  and  went  again  on  a  canvassing  tour  through 
the  South,  in  the  interest  of  Tennessee  University. 
He  made  quite  an  extensive  tour  through  parts  of 


266  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Georgia,  Alabama  and  Tennessee,  preaching  as  he 
went ;  and  on  the  opening  of  the  University  on  the 
second  Thursday  of  September,  1874,  he  took  his  seat 
in  the  chair,  to  which  he  had  been  elected  more  than  a 
year  before.  For  three  years  he  occupied  that  posi- 
tion, and  was  successful  in  greatly  elevating  the  stand- 
ard of  effective  delivery  among  the  students  in  all  the 
classes  of  the  University.  After  the  last  commence- 
ment, for  which  he  had  had  the  training  of  the  grad- 
uates, the  Daily  Tribune  contained  the  following 
editorial  notice  : 

"HONOR   TO    WHOM   HONOR    IS    DUE. 

We  would  not  be  a  true  and  faithful  journalist  if  we 
did  not  make  honorable  mention  of  the  active  and  in- 
telligent services  of  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Teasdale,  D.  D., 
as  Professor  of  Rhetoric  and  Elocution  in  the  East 
Tennessee  University.  How  well  and  efficiently  he 
discharged  his  duties  in  this  capacity,  we  refer  to  his 
"disciples"  in  the  persons  of  those  young  gentlemen 
that  acquitted  themselves  so  nobly  on  the  stage  at  the 
recent  Commencement  of  this  institution.  At  no  for 
mer  time,  according  to  our  recollection,  in  its  eventful 
history,  have  we  ever  witnessed  such  marked  and  com- 
mendable proficiency  in  the  "divine  art"  of  speaking. 
Many  of  these  young  gentlemen  will,  at  no  distant  day, 
become  celebrated  orators  and  will  rise  to  eminent 
distinction." 

The  following  account  of  the  oratorical  contest  which 
occurred  between  seven  members  of  the  Junior  Class 
at  that  time  may  be  interesting : 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  267 

" CONTEST   FOR   THE    M'KINNEY    MEDALS. 

This  contest  was  one  of  unusual  interest  last  night, 
as  was  plainly  shown  by  the  immense  throng  of  people 
in  attendance.  The  Opera-house  was  crowded  below 
and  above,  so  that  there  was  no  available  space  left 
anywhere.  There  were  seven  young  gentlemen  who 
contended  for  the  three  prizes  offered  by  our  fellow- 
citizen,  Mr.  Sam'l  McKinney — R.  E.  Prince,  C.  J. 
Heiskell,  G.  D.  Landrum,  J.  B.  Frazier,  W.  B.  Ross, 
W.  B.  Svvaney  and  J.  H.  Wclcker.  Candor  compels 
us  to  say,  that  on  no  former  occasion  have  we  wit- 
nessed a  more  spirited,  earnest  and  creditable  contest, 
and  the  young  gentlemen  have  cause  to  be  proud  of 
the  result.  They  gave  proof,  every  one  of  them,  of 
oratorical  ability,  and  the  subject  matter  of  their 
orations  was  replete  with  sound  sense  and  eloquent 
utterances. 

The  committee,  after  having  given  the  matter  the 
closest  attention  of  which  it  was  capable,  finally  de- 
cided to  award  the  first  prize  to  Mr.  J.  B.  Frazier,  of 
Nashville,  Tenn. ;  the  second,  to  Mr.  J.  H.  Welcker, 
of  London,  Tenn.,  and  the  third  to  Mr.  G.  D.  Lan- 
drum, of  Memphis,  Tenn. 

In  a  neat  little  speech,  W.  A.  Henderson,  Esq.,' 
awarded  the  different  prizes,  which  were  received  by 
the  recipients  gracefully  amid  the  most  rapturous  ap- 
plause. 

The  instructor,  Rev.Thos.  C.  Teasdale,  D.  D.,  should 
feel  highly  complimented  at  the  proficiency  and  bril- 
liant achievements  of  all  these  young  men." 


268  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

During  Dr.  T.'s  connection  with  the  University,  he 
preached  a  great  deal  to  weak  churches,  on  or  near  the 
railroad  from  Greeneville  to  Charleston,  East  Tennes- 
see. His  labors  with  the  churches  to  whom  he 
preached  were  uniformly  attended  with  good  results. 
He  served  the  McGhee  Street  Church,  in  Knoxville, 
three  Sundays  in  a  month  for  eight  months,  and  there 
were  added  to  the  church  during  his  brief  pastorate 
some  sixty  souls.  But  he  found  that  the  labor  re- 
quired in  that  pastorate  would  be  too  great,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  onerous  duties  of  his  chair  in  the  University; 
and  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  give  up  the  care  of  the 
church  altogether.  He  then  preached  to  other  church- 
es in  the  country,  such  as  Mars  Hill,  Calhoun,  Greene- 
ville, Mary  vi  lie,  etc.,  and  was  instrumental  in  build- 
ing them  up,  and  promoting  their  advancement  and 
prosperity. 

When  his  connection  with  the  University  was  dis- 
continued, Dr.  T.  made  quite  a  tour  to  the  North  and 
North-east.  He  visited  Washington  City,  and  preached 
twice  there  on  the  Sabbath  ;  then  he  went  on  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  remained  over  one  Sabbath  there,  and 
preached  on  Sunday  night  for  Rev.  Mr.  King.  He 
then  went  on  to  New  York,  and  visited  some  relatives 
in  that  city,  and  in  Brooklyn  ;  and  then  went  to 
Martha's  Vineyard,  to  attend  the  great  evangelical 
meeting  on  that  Island.  He  hoard  a  number  of  excel- 
lent sermons  on  this  occasion  from  distinguished  min- 
isters from  different  parts  of  the  country,  and 
preached  once  himself.  It  was  :i  great  gathering  of 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  269 

the  Baptists  at  that  pleasant  summer  resort;  and  it  is 
intended  to  make  it  a  sort  of  Baptist  colony,  during 
the  watering  season,  in  time  to  come.  Quite  a  num- 
ber of  families  had  then  erected  nice  cottages  on  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  grounds,  and  others  expressed  their 
determination  to  do  so  very  soon.  It  is  a  fine  summer 
retreat. 

From  Martha's  Vineyard,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Exeter, 
N.  H.,  to  visit  the  grandfather,  and  other  friends  of 
his  son-in-law,  Prof.  T.  L.  Moses,  of  Knoxville,  Tenn. 
He  was  also  requested  to  supply  the  pulpit  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church  in  Exeter,  during  the  absence  of  the  pas- 
tor on  his  summer  vacation.  He  made  his  home  while 
in  Exeter  with  Deacon  Moses,  then  about  eighty-six 
years  of  age.  The  old  gentleman  was  remarkably 
well  preserved  ;  and  he  carried  Dr.  T.  all  around  the 
town,  and  through  the  surrounding  country,  in  an  ex- 
cellent buggy  which  he  kept  mainly  for  his  own  use. 
He  was  revered  by  every  body  in  that  community,  and 
it  has  rarely  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  one  to  see  a 
Christian  more  fully  ripe  for  heaven  than  was  this 
venerable  servant  of  the  Lord.  Dr.  T.  regarded  it  as  a 
special  providence  that  threw  him  for  two  weeks  at  the 
home  of  this  good  man.  In  a  few  months  afterwards, 
the  Deacon  was  called  to  his  rest  and  his  reward  on 
high.  His  end  was  peace. 

From  Exeter,  Dr.  T.  returned  to  Boston,  and  spent 
a  week  with  endeared  friends  in  that  city.  He  made 
his  home  while  in  Boston  with  Rev.  Mr.  Cooke,  pas- 
tor of  the  Bethel  Baptist  Church  in  that  city.  He 


270  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

preached  on  Sunday,  both  morning  and  night,  to  this 
people.  He  found  Mr.  Cooke  doing  a  great  work 
among  the  seamen  ;  and  assisted  by  his  excellent  wife, 
who  has  had  great  experience  in  the  work  among  sea- 
men— her  former  husband,  Rev.  Phineas  Stow,  having 
labored  for  many  years  in  that  department  of  Chris- 
tian toil — he  will  doubtless  accomplish  much  good 
among  those  who  "go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  and  do 
business  on  the  great  deep." 

Dr.  T.  met  in  Boston  his  son  in  the  gospel,  Rev. 
Geo.  C.  Lorimer,  D.  D.,  who  was  converted  under  his 
ministry  in  1855,  in  Louisville,  Ky.  Dr.  T.  was  as- 
sisting Rev.  Dr.  Everts,  pastor  of  the  Walnut  Street 
Baptist  Church  in  ;i  series  of  revival  meetings  at  that 
time. 

An  account  of  that  meeting,  and  the  conversion  of 
the  two  actors,  of  whom  Dr.  Lorimer  was  one,  has 
been  given  in  its  place,  and  need  not  be  repeated  here. 
It  was  now  the  first  Sunday  in  September,  1877.  Dr. 
L.  had  just  returned  from  his  summer  vacation  ;  and  it 
was  the  communion  season  of  the  church  that  after- 
noon. Dr.  T.  made  the  opening  prayer  on  that  oc- 
casion, and  then,  by  the  request  of  the  pastor,  he  ad- 
ministered the  Lord's  supper  to  the  church,  at  the 
close  of  the  sermon,  Dr.  Lorimer  stated,  that  he 
wanted  Dr.  T.  to  break  bread  to  his  people  on  that  oc- 
casion, for  the  reason,  that  many  years  before,  he  was 
awakened  by  a  sermon  which  he  heard  him  preach 
from  the  text,  "The  harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is 
ended,  and  we  are  not  saved,"  Jer.  viii.  20,  which  re- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  271 

suited  in  his  conversion  to  Christ.  This  announcement 
created  a  good  deal  of  interest  among  his  people  ;  and 
at  the  close  of  the  communion  service,  many  gathered 
around  him  to  grasp  the  hand  of  him  who  had  been  in- 
strumental in  the  conversion  of  their  beloved  pastor. 
It  was  an  interesting  occasion. 

From  Boston,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Providence,  R.  I., and 
spent  about  three  weeks  there  in  preaching  to  the 
churches  of  which  Rev.  Messrs.  Everts  and  Bainbridge 
were  pastors.  He  preached  two  weeks  for  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Bainbridge's  people.  For  the  first  time  in  his 
ministry,  he  encountered  here  the  heresy  of  "the  higher 
life"  notions.  He  found  it  to  be  a  species  of  Phara- 
seeisin,  which  enervated  the  piety  of  its  professors,  and 
threw  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  the  conversion 
of  sinners.  It  was  a  great  grief  to  the  pastor,  and 
many  of  the  members  of  the  church.  At  the  close  of 
two  weeks'  labor  among  these  people,  Dr.  T.  inform- 
ed the  pastor  that  he  could  not  remain  and  labor  any 
longer  in  the  meeting,  unless  those  "higher  life"  peo- 
ple could  be  induced  to  co-operate  in  the  good  work. 
This  announcement  of  Dr.  T.  to  the  pastor  called 
forth  an  earnest  and  affectionate  appeal  from  the  pastor 
to  the  members  of  his  church,  from  which  the  follow- 
ing extract  is  taken  : 

"Dear  Brethren  and  Sisters:  You  are  called  to- 
gether to  meet  a  great  responsibility.  After  many 
months  of  earnest  prayer  that  God  would  visit  us  with 
a  large  revival  blessing,  unexpectedly  we  have  found 
Him  of  late  comingto  us  with  many  sore  bereavements, 


272  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

rendering  a  great  number  of  hearts  unusually  sensi- 
tive to  religious  truth. 

Immediately  then  as  we  waited  before  the  Lord  in 
tears,  most  providentially,  as  it  seemed,  a  brother 
evangelist,  of  large  and  successful  experience  in  re- 
vival work,  came  to  us.  My  duty  appeared  plain 
to  open  to  Bro.  Teasdale  my  heart  and  home,  and  to 
furnish  him  a  general  introduction  to  you. 

For  two  weeks  he  has  been  laboring  with  us,  and 
never  have  I  worked  with  an  evangelist  whose  services 
have  been  so  truly  earnest  and  so  wisely  adapted  to 
build  up  the  church  and  win  souls  to  Christ.  His  ser- 
mons, generally,  have  been  remarkably  able,  full  of  the 
Bible,  and  such  as  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  all  ages  of  the 
church,  has  been  accustomed  to  honor Neighbor- 
ing pastors  and  other  clergymen  have  met  with  us,  and 
participated  with  us  in  our  meetings;  and  the  general 
attendance,  especially  of  strangers  has  been  gratify- 
ing. The  question  for  you  now  to  decide  is  whether, 
after  a  week's  interval,  these  special  religious  efforts 
shall  be  continued.  Will  you,  dear  church,  or  will 
you  not,  join  hand  and  heart  with  brother  Teasdale, 
for  a  few  weeks  in  a  series  of  revival  meetings?  God's 
spirit  cannot  bless  his  labors  if  you  continue  to  look 
on  with  folded  arms.  It  is  better  to  bid  him  go  than 
longer  to  impede  his  way  with  the  interest  of  mere 
curiosity,  or  the  encouragement  of  mere  formality. 
Paul  may  plant  and  Apollos  water,  but  God  only  can 
give  the  increase.  He  will  give  the  increase  only 
when  His  people  come  up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  273 

against  the  mighty.  I  am  persuaded  that  the  present 
is  a  glorious  opportunity  for  you,  will  you  let  it  pass? 
Will  you  deliberately  decide  not  to  avail  yourselves  of 
the  present  occasion  to  rally  under  God  for  the1 
strengthening  of  Zion,  and  the  saving  of  souls?  God 
help  you  to  decide  in  view  of  the  judgment  day  and 
eternity!" 

Bro.  Bainbridge  was  at  that  time  pastor  of  the 
Central  Baptist  Church  in  Providence,  which  was  the 
largest  Baptist  Church  in  that  city.  His  labors  had 
been  greatly  blessed  in  building  up  the  church  and 
winning  souls  to  Christ.  And  he  was  ardently  loved 
by  nearly  all  the  members  of  his  church.  But  unfor- 
tunately, to  his  great  grief,  as  we  have  seen,  a  portion 
of  his  church — say  about  thirty  members — had  imbibed 
the  heresy  of  the  higher  life  notions,  and  caused  much 
trouble.  His  appeal  to  those  members  failed  to  pro- 
duce the  desired  effect,  and  Dr.  T.  closed  his  efforts  in 
that  church  and  left  amid  the  tears  of  the  pastor  and 
his  excellent  wife  with  whom  he  had  made  his  home 
during  his  labors  in  the  Central  Church.  The  follow- 
ing account  of  Dr.  T.'s  labors  in  Providence  was  given 
at  the  time,  in  the  Evening  Star  of  that  city: 

INTERESTING  SERVICES  AT  THE  CENTRAL  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

At  the  Central  Baptist  Church  of  this  city,  an 
unusual  religious  interest  is  being  developed.  Thomas 
C.  Teasdale,  D.  D.,  late  Prof  essor  of  Khetoric  and  Elo- 
cution in  the  Tennessee  State  University,  at  Knoxville, 
preached  several  evenings  last  week,  and  Sunday  the 
large  audience  room  was  well  filled,  both  in  the  morn- 


274  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

ing  and  evening,  to  listen  to  the  eloquent  and  logical 
discourse  of  this  earnest  preacher.  The  sermon  in  the 
morning  was  on  the  "Stranger's  Question,"  and  was 
founded  on  1  Peter,  4  :  18,  "And  if  the  righteous  scarce- 
ly be  saved,  where  will  the  ungodly  and  the  sinner  ap- 
pear?" The  Doctor,  after  a  very  brief  introduction, 
treated  the  question  under  the  three  following  di- 
visions:  I.  Notice  the  characters  in  the  text,  "the 
sinner,"  "the  ungodly"  and  "the  righteous."  II. 
How  is  it  that  the  righteous  are  "scarcely  saved?"  III. 
Press  the  question,  "Where  shall  the  ungodly  and  the 
sinner  appear?"  The  distinction  between  "the  sin- 
ner" and  "the  ungodly"  was  very  clearly  and  logically 
defined,  showing  that  though  a  m;Vh  may  not  be  an  out- 
breaking sinner,  yet  he  may  be  and  must  be  "ungodly" 
until  he  is  born  again  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  per- 
oration was  an  eloquent  appeal  to  the  unconverted, 
embracing  a  stirring  quotation  from  Pollock,  delivered 
in  the  finest  style  of  real  pulpit  elocution. 

The  evening  sermon  was  on  the  "Unpardonable  Sin, 
or  the  Sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,"  founded  on  1 
John,  5:  16,  "There  is  a  sin  unto  death:  I  do  not 
say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it."  The  sermon  displayed 
great  originality  of  thought  and  expression.  "What 
is  the  Unpardonable  Sin?"  The  Dr.  treated  the  sub- 
ject first,  negatively  ;  and  under  this  head  considered 
all  the  usual  'answers  given  to  the  question,  none  of 
which  he  believed  to  be  Scriptural  or  correct.  He  con- 
sidered it  secondly,  affirmatively ;  and  announced  as 
his  conviction,  after  very  careful  study,  that  the  sin 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  275 

against  the  Holy  Ghost,  necessarily  involved  two  ele- 
,ments  :  first,  the  possession  of  light  on  Gospel  truth, 
and  second,  the  malicious  opposition  to  that  light.  He 
cited  a  number  of  illustrations  from  Scripture  where 
there  was  rejection  of  light  without  malice,  as  in  the 
case  of  Peter  denying  his  Lord ;  and  where  there  was 
malice  without  light,  as  in  the  case  of  Saul  of  Tarsus, 
who  cherished  malignity  but  had  not  light,  as  he  him- 
self avowed  that  in  persecuting  the  saints  he  did  it 
ignorantly  in  unbelief.  Had  Peter  added  malignity 
to  his  sin  against  light,  he  would  never  have  been  sav- 
ed. Had  Saul  possessed  light  with  the  malignity  he 
manifested  against  Jesus,  he  must  have  been  eternally 
lost.  The  audience  was  larger  in  the  evening  than  in  the 
morning,  and  listened  with  evident  interest  through 
the  entire  sermon.  After  the  discourse,  a  large  num- 
ber retired  to  the  audience  room  for  prayer. 

Dr.  Teasdale  is  a  man  of  large  experience  and  fine 
culture,  and  though  his  locks  are  whitened  with  the 
snows  of  many  winters,  he  possesses  a  vigor,  both  in- 
tellectual and  physical,  that  would  do  credit  to  any 
man  in  the  prime  of  life.  He  will  preach  this  even- 
ing in  the  vestry  of  the  Central  Baptist  Church  on 
'The  Recognition  of  Friends  in  Heaven,'  and  every 
succeeding  evening  of  the  week,  except  Saturday.  The 
Tuesday  evening  sermon  will  be  to  young  ladies,  and 
Wednesday  evening  to  young  men.  These  services 
are  open  to  the  public. 

THE  NOON  DAY  PRAYER  MEETING 

was  led  yesterday  by  Rev.  T.C.  Teasdale,  D.  D.     His 


i 

276  '  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

theme  was  Prayer,  on  which  he  made  some  forcible  re- 
marks.    He  leads  through  the  week." 

From  Providence,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Fall  River,  Mass., 
to  assist  Rev.  Mr.  Graves  in  a  meeting  of  some  two 
weeks  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  that  city.  This 
meeting  was  somewhat  interrupted  by  inclement 
weather;  but  still  quite  a  number  professed  faith  in 
Christ  during  the  meeting;  and  among  them  was  a 
Roman  Catholic  gentleman,  who  had  been  quite  a  prom- 
inent man  among  them,  and  who  was  a  very  scholarly 
gentleman.  His  wife  also  came  forward  for  prayers 
before  Dr.  T.  left  the  meeting,  and  it  was  thought  she 
was  also  converted.  Dr.  T.  found  Rev.  Mr.  Graves 
an  excellent  co-worker  in  the  meeting,  as  he  had 
found  Mr.  Bainbridge  and  Mr.  Everts  in  Providence. 
All  these  brethren  endeared  themselves  to  him  by  their 
very  kind  attentions,  and  their  hearty  co-operation  in 
his  meetings.  He  has  ever  since  cherished  the  highest 

t.y  D 

•esteem  for  them. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  in  Fall  River,  Dr.  T. 
left  New  England,  and  returned  to  the  cities  of  Brook- 
lyn and  New  York,  and  spent  a  few  days  again  with 
endeared  relatives  and  friends  in  those  cities.  During 
his  stay  in  Brooklyn,  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of 
the  distinguished  Dr.  Talmage,  pastor  of  the  great 
Tabernacle  Church  in  Brooklyn,  and  heard  him  preach 
several  times.  Mr.  Talmage  pressed  him  to  preach  for 
him  on  Sunday  night,  but  he  declined  on  the  ground 
that  Mr.  Talmage' s  congregation  was  largely  a  per- 
sonal one,  and  that  no  matter  who  might  preach  for 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  277 

nim,  many  strangers,  especially,  would  go  away  dis- 
appointed, because  he  had  not  himself  preached  on  the 
occasion. 

During  his  stay  in  New  York  and  Brooklyn,  Dr.  T. 
preached  one  Sunday  night  in  Grand  Union  Hall,  in 
New  York,  to  a  crowded  congregation.  On  the  next 
day  at  12  m.,  he  made  another  talk  to  the  people 
assembled  in  the  Hall ;  and  on  that  night  he  heard  an 
excellent  discussion  of"  The  Risen  Life  in  Christ,"  by 
Rev.  S.  H.  Tyng,  Jr.,  D.  D.  In  the  course  of  his 
able  address  on  that  interesting  theme,  Dr.  Tyng 
alluded  to  the  passage  in  Rom.  vi.  3-0,  and  turning 
towards  Dr.  T.,  who  sat  near  him  on  the  platform,  he 
observed  with  a  gentle  smile  on  his  countenance,  "The 
Baptists  make  a  great  handle  of  this  passage;"  and 
then  he  added,  "and  the  Baptists  are  right  in  their 
view  of  its  meaning,  too.  It  means  just  what  they 
claim  for  it." 

While  he  remained  in  that  vicinity,  Dr.  T.  attended 
the  Baptist  State  Convention  of  New  York,  which  con- 
vened in  Troy.  Ho  met  there  many  brethren  whose 
acquaintance  he  had  formed  many  years  ago,  and  en- 
joyed a  pleasant  interview  with  the  delegates  of  the 
body  generally. 

After  the  close  of  the  Convention,  Dr.  T.  made  a 
hasty  trip  to  Saratoga  Springs,  and  spent  a  day  and  a 
night  with  his  life-long  friend,  Mrs.  H.  F.  Milligan. 
It  was  her  brother  that  baptized  Dr.  T.  fifty-one  years 
before;  and  an  intimacy  had  sprung  up  between  him 
and  the  Fletcher  family  in  early  life,  which  had  never 


278  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

subsided.  Mr.  Robert  F.  Milligan,  the  only  son  of 
Mrs.  Milligan,  met  Dr.  T.  at  the  depot,  and  conveyed 
him  in  a  carriage  to  the  elegant  mansion  of  his  mother, 
where  there  was  soon  ready  a  rich  repast  for  their 
welcome  guest.  The  time  in  this  hospitable  home 
seemed  to  Dr.  T.  to  be  very  short ;  and  he  afterwards 
regretted  that  he  did  not  stay  over  the  following  Sun- 
day in  Saratoga.  But  he  was  anxious  to  attend  the 
anniversary  of  the  New  Jersey  Baptist  Convention, 
which  met  at  Key  Port,  N.  J.,  the  last  of  that  week, 
or  the  first  of  the  week  following.  This  cut  short  his 
pleasant  visit  at  Saratoga. 

Dr.  T.  attended  the  meeting  of  the  New  Jersey  Bap- 
tist  Convention,    as  above  indicated;  and    was  very 
much   pleased  to    meet  so  many    brethren  whom   he' 
knew,  and  with  whom  he  had  been  associated  in  gospel 
labors,  in  this,  his  native  state,  many  years  agone. 

From  this  Convention,  Dr.  T.  went  directly  to  West 
Chester,  Pa.,  to  assist  the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  that  town,  Rev.  Mr.  Harris,  in  a  series  of 
revival  meetings  in  that  place.  Forty-four  years  be- 
fore, viz:  late  in  the  fall  of  1833,  Dr.  T.  had  assisted 
Rev.  Dr.  W.  T.  Brautly,  Sr.,  Rev.  Leonard  Fletcher 
and  others,  in  a  protracted  meeting  in  that  borough, 
which  was  greatly  blessed,  and  which  resulted  in  the 
establishment  of  a  Baptist  Church  in  that  place.  Dr. 
T.,  by  special  request,  took  charge  of  the  new  interest 
there  for  a  year,  in  order  to  give  the  little  church  a 
good  foothold,  and  open  the  way  for  its  subsequent 
advancement  and  prosperity.  It  has  gone  on  prosper- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  279 

ing  from  that  day  until  the  present  time  ;  and  it  is  now 
a  large  and  influential  body.  Indeed,  there  are  two 
Baptist  Churches  in  that  borough  at  present,  and  a 
large  Baptist  element  pervades  the  community.  One 
of  the  West  Chester  papers  contains  the  following 
notice  of  Dr.  T.'s  visit  and  labors  for  two  weeks  in 
that  place : 

"INTERESTING    SERVICE. 

Quite  an  interesting  series  of  meetings  have  been 
held  in  the  Baptist  Church  in  this  borough  extending 
over  the  past  two  weeks.  They  were  conducted  by  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Teasdale,  the  former  pastor  and  founder 
of  this  church.  Sunday  evening  was  the  concluding 
service,  and  Mr.  Teasdale  gave  some  very  interesting 
reminiscences  of  his  pastoral  labors  among  this  com- 
munity. The  church  was  founded  in  1833.  At  that 
time,  West  Chester  was  quite  a  small  village.  The 
speaker  said  thut  if  he  had  been  set  down  here  from  a 
balloon,  he  would  scarcely  have  recognized  his  former 
home,  it  had  so  greatly  increased  in  size,  wealth  and 
influence.  About  the  year  1833,  Mr.  Teasdale  and  a 
number  of  other  ministers  held  a  series  of  meetings, 
which  resulted  in  the  founding  of  this  church.  Dur- 
ing these  meetings  a  number  of  the  prominent  men  of 
the  place  addressed  a  very  respectful  letter  to  him,  ask- 
ing him  to  give  his  views  upon  the  subject  of  baptism. 
Among  the  gentlemen  whose  signatures  were  attached 
to  this  letter,  were  John  Marshall,  U.  V.  Pennypacker, 
John  Hickman  and  Dr.  Wilmer  Worthington.  He 
preached  a  sermon  upon  the  subject  as  desired,  which 


280  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

was  afterwards  printed  by  request.  The  speaker  said 
he  had  preserved  some  of  the  copies,  which  he  placed 
upon  the  table  for  free  distribution  among  those  of  the 
audience  that  wished  them.  Quite  a  number  were 
converted  and  baptized,  among  them  the  late  U.  V. 
Pennypacker,  and  Mr.  Nimrod  Strickland.  The  latter 
gentleman  was  the  only  male  member  present  whom 
he  recognized  as  having  been  baptized  at  that  early 
period.  The  speaker  is  very  venerable  in  appearance, 
and  his  remarks  produced  a  profound  sensation  among 
the  audience  assembled.  At  the  request  of  Dr. 
Jones,  Mr.  Teasdale  said  he  had  agreed  to  prepare  a 
paper  for  publication  giving  some  of  the  reminiscences 
connected  with  the  early  history  of  the  church.  He 
further  stated  that  he  had  been  pastor  of  a  church  at 
Springfield  at  one  period  of  his  life.  His  residence 
was  next  door  but  one  to  that  of  the  late  President 
Lincoln,  with  whom  he  was  on  terms  of  intimate 
friendship." 

Dr.  T.  found  very  few  of  the  constituent  members 
remaining  in  the  borough.  Deaths  and  removals  had 
made  great  changes  in  the  church.  But  still  a  goodly 
number  of  the  citizens  remembered  him  well;  and 
when  in  his  closing  discourse  he  gave  some  reminiscen- 
ces of  West  Chester,  as  it  was  forty-four  years  ago, 
The  old  men  and  women  of  the  borough  generally 
turned  out  to  listen  to  his  address,  and  seemed  deeply 
interested  in  his  account  of  things,  as  they  knew  them 
to  exist  at  the  time  of  which  he  spoke.  Dr.  T. 
preached  to  full  houses  in  West  Chester ;  but  there 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  281 

were  but  few  conversions.  There  had  been  a  union 
meeting  for  some  three  weeks  before  Dr.  T.  went 
there,  which  was  attended  with  scarcely  any  salutary 
results.  And  it  is  probable  that  the  failure  in  that 
effort,  stood  in  his  way  in  the  meeting  which  he  held  in 
the  Baptist  Church.  Before  he  left  West  Chester,  he 
went  out  to  the  Goshen  Church,  some  two  miles  dis- 
tant, and  preached  a  single  sermon,  which  was  blessed 
to  the  awaking  of  a  number  of  precious  souls,  and 
which  greatly  intensified  the  interest  in  the  meeting 
which  followed  in  that  church  immediately  after- 
wards. 

From  West  Chester,  Dr.  T.  went  out  into  the  coun- 
try some  eight  miles  to  preach  a  few  days  to  a  church 
recently  organized  there.  The  weather  was  very  un- 
propitious  ;  but  still,  considerable  good  was  accom- 
plished during  his  brief  stay  among  that  people. 

From  that  place  he  went  out  to  the  old  Hepzibah 
Church,  where  over  forty  years  before  he  had  assisted 
the  pastor,  Rev.  Jethro  Johnson,  in  a  meeting  of 
days,  which  was  greatly  blessed  in  the  conversion  of 
souls.  The  elder  Dr.  W.  T.  Brantly  also  assisted  in 
that  meeting.  Dr.  T.  had  also  preached  for  that 
church  in  another  meeting,  a  year  or>two  after  the  one 
above  referred  to,  which  was  also  greatly  blessed.  He 
found  a  few  of  the  members  remaining,  who  were 
living  and  active  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  when  he 
preached  for  them  so  many  years  before.  He  spent 
but  a  single  night  there,  and  prearhed  but  one  sermon 
for  them  ;  and  then  the  next  day  he  went  over  to 


282  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Coatesville,  some  five  or  six  miles  distant,  and  gave 
the  church  there  a  Bible  Reading  in  the  afternoon,  and 
a  sermon  at  night.  He  went  on  the  next  day  to  the 
Windsor  Church,  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  and  preached 
for  them  two  or  three  days.  He  had  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  that  church,  and  preached  for  them 
twice  a  month  during  the  year  1833.  Here,  too,  he 
found  very  few  living  who  were  members  of  the  church 
when  he  was  its  pastor.  He  baptized  into  the  fellow- 
ship of  that  church  during  his  pastorate  there  about 
sixty  happy  converts.  During  his  visit  there  in  1877, 
the  pastor  of  the  church  handed  him  a  copy  of  the  fol- 
lowing lines,  written  by  himself,  and  which  were  sung 
by  the  choir  of  the  church  with  great  spirit  while  he 
was  with  them  : 


I. 

Shall  we  lull  their  souls  to  slumber— 

Those  who  now  repose  in  sin? 
Some  there  be  among  the  number 

Who  are  dear  to  us  as  kin ; 
Others  are  our  friends  and  neighbors ; 

At  God's  bar  with  us  they'll  stand. 
Shall  we  rouse  them  with  our  labors? 

Or  permit  them  to  be  damned? 

Chorus:  (To  the  music  of  the  last  four  lines.) 

Strengthen  me,  Oh  God  of  glory, 

For  the  work  I  ought  to  do  : 
Help  me  tell  the  gospel  story — 

Help  me  now  some  soul  to  save. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  283 

2. 

Shall  they,  through  our  fear  or  languor, 

Fall  asleep  to  wake  no  more, 
Till  the  Judge,  in  awful  anger, 

Peals  the  trump  a  lost  world  o'er? 
Waking  sinners  for  their  sentence, 

Whom  we  warned  not  of  their  fate 
Coming  when  there's  no  repentance? 

Waked  at  last !     Awake  too  late ! 

Chonts:  Strengthen  me,  &c. 

3. 
Shall  we  go  to  them  in  kindness 

While  salvation's  day  is  nigh, 
Lead  them  irom  their  night  of  blindness, 

Or  in  darkness  let  them  die? 
Shall  we  help  them  in  their  weakness 

To  arise  and  go  to  Him, 
Telling  them  in  Christian  meekness, 

Christ  alone  can  save  from  sin. 
Chorus. 

4. 
Shall  we  urge  them  when  they  falter, 

Gently  take  them  by  the  hand, 
Lead  them  to  contrition's  altar, 

Start  them  to  the  better  land? 
Say  not  'tis  the  Spirit's  power 

That  alone  must  do  this  work ; 
Us  He  uses ;  and  our  dower 

Is  to  labor — not  to  shirk. 

Chorus. 

5. 

Sound  we  then  the  proclamation, 
Standing  by  some  sinner's  side! 
There's  a  free  and  full  salvation 
Through  our  Savior  crucified  t 
Now  He's  risen  and  exalted, 
And  in  glory  waits  for  thee ; 
Come  to  Jesus  and  be  free. 
Chorus. 


284  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

From  this  place,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Phcenixville,  in  that 
county,  and  spent  a  part  of  the  next  Sunday  there. 
He  had  also  assisted,  in  1832,  in  organizing  the  Baptist 
Church  in  that  city,  and  preached  in  two  protracted 
meetings,  held  there  about  that  time,  with  encouraging 
success.  He  had  also  assisted  Rev.  W.  S.  Hall,  then 
pastor  of  that  church,  in  a  protracted  meeting,  held  in 
the  winter  of  1850.  That  meeting  was  one  of  intense 
interest,  and  resulted  in  a  very  large  accession  to  the 
church.  The  present  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  his  excellent  lady,  were  converted  in  that 
meeting.  He  received  from  that  school  a  birth-day 
present  of  an  excellent  Teacher's  Bible.  Dr.  T.  ad- 
dressed the  Sunday-school  in  the  morning ;  preached 
to  a  great  congregation  at  11  o'clock  a.m.;  gave  a 
Bible  reading  in  the  afternoon  ;  and  then  went  over  to 
Norristovvn  and  preached  that  night  to  an  immense 
and  most  attentive  congregation.  He  spent  the  night 
pleasantly  at  the  residence  of  the  pastor, Rev.  Simeon 
Siegfried,  Jr.  Dr.  T.  had  aided  in  the  meetings  which 
gave  rise  to  this  church,  also,  over  forty  years  before. 
There  were  some  persons  present  the  night  he  preached 
there,  Avho  remembered  how  he  had  broken  bread  for 
the  little  band  of  disciples  those  long  years  agone,  in 
the  open  air — no  church,  and  not  even  the  Court  House 
being  allowed  them  in  which  to  celebrate  the  Lord's 
Supper.  The  church,  very  soon  afterwards,  built  a 
commodious  house  of  worship,  which  has  lately  been 
superceded  by  the  best  meeting-house  in  the  city.  It 
is  really  an  elegant  and  commodious  structure.  They 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  285 

have  probably  the  largest  congregation  of  any  denom- 
ination in  the  place,  and  a  very  flourishing  Sunday- 
school.  Indeed,  the  condition  of  the  church  altogether 
seemed  to  be  most  encouraging. 

From  Norristown,  Dr.  T.  went  down  to  Philadelphia, 
and  attended  on  Monday  morn,  a  meeting  in  that  city, 
in  which  Rev.  Mr.  Mueller,  of  .England,  addressed  the 
ministers  of  all  denominations  in  the  city  and  vicinity. 
He  also  attended  the  meeting  of  the  Baptist  ministers  in 
their  own  room  in  the  Publication  House  ;  and  afterwards 
went  out  to  assist  the  pastor  of  the  Old  Brandywine 
Church,  in  Delaware  County, Pa.,  in  a  series  of  meet- 
ings there.  This  church  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  houses  occupied  by  Gen.  Washington  and  Gen. 
La  Fayette,  as  their  Head-quarters,  before  the  mem- 
orable battle  of  Brandywine  was  fought.  The 
houses  still  stand  there  ;  but  they  have  undergone,  of 
course,  since  that  period,  material  improvements. 

The  meeting  which  Dr.  T.  held  with  this  church  was 
greatly  blessed  ;  and  many  were  converted  and  added 
to  the  church. 

From  this  place.  Dr.  T.  went  down  to  Salisbury, 
Maryland,  to  visit  a  nephew  of  his  who  had  graduated 
at  the  Crozier  Seminary  at  its  last  Commencement,  and 
was  then  preaching  to  the  church  in  Salisbury,  and 
to  two  or  three  others  in  that  vicinity.  Dr.  T. 
preached  a  few  sermons  in  Salisbury,  and  also  a  few 
at  another  of  his  nephew's  churches,  with  manifest 
effect;  and  then  went  to  Baltimore,  on  his  way  home- 
ward. He  spent  two  days  in  Baltimore,  with  his  life- 


286  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

long  friend,  Kev.  Dr.  W.  T.  Brantly.  While  there  the 
new  meeting-house  of  the  old  First  Church,  which  had 
worshipped  so  long  in  the  Round  Church,  down  town, 
was  opened,  and  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity.  The 
services  were  not  the  dedication  services ;  but  were 
designed  to  raise  the  money  necessary  to  pay  the  debt 
still  due  on  the  building.  Liberal  contributions  were 
nfcade  to  the  object  that  night ;  and  it  was  thought  that 
every  dollar  of  the  indebtedness  could  be  easily  raised, 
before  the  dedication  of  the  house  would  take  place. 

From  Baltimore,  Dr.  T.  went  directly  to  his  home 
in  Knoxville,  from  which  he  had  been  absent  about 
six  months.  His  wife  had  gone  on  a  visit  to  their  sons, 
residing  in  Columbus,  Miss.,  for  the  double  purpose  of 
seeing  her  children,  and  avoiding  the  severity  of  the 
winter  climate  in  Knoxville.  Dr.  T.  remained  at  home, 
with  his  daughter  and  son-in-law,  Prof.  Moses,  and 
their  little  ones,  only  a  few  days,  and  {hen  went  to 
Springville,  Ala.,  to  hold  a  meeting  in  that  village  for 
a  few  days.  Here  he  met  Prof.  J.  F.  Parker,  one  of 
the  sweet  singers  of  Israel,  who  had  agreed. to  associate 
himself  with  him  in  his  evangelistic  work.  The  ex- 
ercises progressed  for  a  week,  with  constantly  increas- 
ing interest,  when  Dr.  T.  was  taken  suddenly  sick,  and 
was  compelled  to  close  the  meeting.  Quite  a  number 
of  influential  persons  had  professed  hope  before  the 
meeting  closed  ;  and  if  it  could  have  gone  on  a  week 
longer,  as  was  intended,  it  would  most  likely  have  re- 
sulted in  a  large  accession  of  converts  to  the  church. 
Dr.  T.  had  held  a  meeting  there  a  few  years  before, 


OP  A  LONG  LIFE.  287 

which  was  greatly  blessed ;  and  it  was  expected  that 
his  coming  among  the  people  again,  would  result  in 
like  happy  consequences.  And  but  for  his  sudden  ill- 
ness it  would  probably  have  been  so. 


288  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER  XII. 


On  the  first  Sunday  in  February,  1878,  Dr.  T.  com- 
menced a  series  of  religious  exercises  in  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  Rev.  Dr.  T.  G.  Jones, 
pastor.  He  was  assisted  in  the  meetings  in  Nashville 
by  Prof.  J.  F.  Parker,  the  evangelist  singer,  whom 
Dr.  T.  met  at  Springville,  and  who  was  regarded  by 
many  as  almost  the  equal  of  the  late  lamented  Bliss. 
The  meeting  lasted  a  month,  and  was  productive  of 
great  good,  though  the  number  of  conversions  was  not 
so  great  as  in  many  of  his  meetings.  The  members 
of  the  church  generally  seemed  interested  and  profited 
in  the  good  work  ;  and  the  learned  and  excellent  pastor 
was  especially  gratified,  as  a  brief  note,  addressed  to 
Dr.  T.  at  the  close  of  the  meeting,  sufficiently  at- 
tested. The  several  kindly  notices  of  the  good  work, 
given  from  time  to  time  during  the  progress  of  the 
meeting,  in  the  Baptist  Reflector,  by  Rev.  Dr.  -May- 
field,  editor,  who  was  an  almost  constant  attendant 
upon  the  exercises,  are  perhaps  as  full  an  expression 
of  the  sentiments  of  the  people  generally,  as  could 
well  be  obtained.  They  are  here  inserted  : 

"MEETING  IN  THE   FIRST  CHURCH  IN  NASHVILLE. 

The  meeting  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  seems  to  be 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  .  289 

full  of  promise.  The  congregations  are  large,  atten- 
tive and  solemn.  The  preaching  has  been  sound,  logi- 
cal, and  in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of  the  gospel. 
.There  is  nothing  about  the  services  which  we  cannot 
heartily  approve.  The  methods  employed  by  the  pro- 
fessed revivalists  are  utterly  discarded.  There  is  no 
effort  to  force  the  people  into  measures;  no  effort  to 
produce  a  mere  sensation.  The  gospel  is  preached 
with  power.  The  mighty  and  blessed  Christ  is  pre- 
sented, and  the  people  are  urged  to  love  and  trust 
him.  Sin  is  condemned,  and  men  are  urged  to  fly 
from  it  to  the  Lamb  of  God.  In  a  word,  Dr.  Teas- 
dale's  mode  of  conducting  a  meeting  is  such  as  our 
Baptist  people  can  but  approve.  And  that  it  is  ap- 
preciated by  our  community  is  manifest  by  the  fact 
that  without  advertising,  and.  without  at  all  compro- 
mising the  dignity  of  our  Baptist  cause  by  pandering  to 
the  Union  sentiment,  so  common  with  revivalists,  great 
crowds  daily  attend  the  services  of  Dr.  Teasdale. 

Dr.  Teasdale  is  an  able  preacher.  It  has  been  fifteen 
years  since  we  first  heard  him.  We  then  thought  that 
as  a  rhetorician  and  an  elocutionist  he  had  no  superior 
in  the  South.  We  still  recognize  the  masterly  rhetori- 
cian. And  what  the  voice  has  lost  in  harmony  and 
power  would  scarcely  be  noticed,  even  by  one  who  was 
accustomed  to  hear  him  in  other  days.  Dr.  Teasdale's 
locks  are'  as  white  as  snow ;  but  his  intellect  is  still 
strong  and  vigorous  ;  and  his  sermons  M-C  able,  elo- 
quent and  masterly  presentations  of  Gospel  truth. 
Prof.  Parker,  so  long  with  Mnj.  Penn,  leads  the  sing- 


290  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

ing.  He  has  rare  musical  gifts,  and  his  music  often 
melts  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

It  is  too  early  yet  to  give  the  result  of  the  meeting. 
There  is  promise  now  of  large  success.  Some  have 
already  been  converted.  May  God  bless  these  efforts 
to  the  salvation  of  thousands  of  precious  souls  !" 

Rev.  Dr.  Mayfield,  editor  of  The  Baptist  Reflector 
at  that  time,  attended  the  meetings  regularly  which 
were  held  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Nashville  in 
the  winter  of  1878  ;  and  gave  these  notices  in  succes- 
sive issues  of  his  paper  as  the  work  progressed. 

"MEETING  AT  THE    FIRST  CHURCH. 

This  meeting  has  now  been  in  progress  for  more 
than  two  weeks.  A  general,  but  as  yet  not  a  very 
deep  interest,  has  been  awakened.  A  large  and  very 
solemn  and  attentive  congregation  fills  the  house  every 
night.  Quite  a  number  of  persons  have  presented 
themselves  for  prayer.  Several  persons  have  also  pro- 
fessed conversion.  Three  of  these  happy  converts 
were  baptized  by  Dr.  Jones  on  Monday  night. 

The  interest  felt  in  these  services  is  growing  deeper 
every  day.  And  the  interest  is  a  religious  one.  No 
effort  has  been  made  to  excite  the  curiosity  of  the 
people  ;  no  measures  have  been  employed  to  draw  a 
crowd.  There  has  been  no  departure,  in  the  mode  of 
conducting  worship,  from  gospel  simplicity.  In  the 
evening  at  4  o'clock,  the  people  meet  in  the  church, 
sing,  pray,  repeat  passages  of  Scripture,  relate  some 
experience  of  the  past,  and  exhort  each  other'to  deep- 
er piety,  or  plead  with  the  sinner  to  be  saved.  At 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  .     291 

night  the  service  is  opened  with  a  number  of  sweet 
songs  by^Prof.  Parker,  interspersed  with  prayers,  or  re- 
marks by  persons  in  the  congregation.  Then  follows 
a  regular  discourse  by  Dr.  Teasdale.  At  the  close  of 
the  sermon,  persons  who  desire  to  be  saved  are  invited 
to  occupy  the  front  pews.  The  congregation  then 
spends  a  season  in  special  prayer  for  the  salvation  of 
those  who  have  come  forward.  Such  is  the  manner  in 
which  the  services  are  conducted.  And  we  trust  that 
they  will  be  blessed  to  the  salvation  of  many  souls." 

"MEETING  IX  THE  FIRST  CHURCH. 

This  meeting  still  continues  with  increasing  interest. 
The  congregations  are  large,  and  a  great  many  persons 
are  seeking  the  blessed  Savior.  On  last  Sunday  even- 
ing special  service  was  held  in  the  Masonic  Hall.  Dr. 
Teasdale  preached  a  very  able  sermon  to  a  vast  con- 
course of  people.  At  its  conclusion  many  persons 
requested  prayers.  We  are  satisfied  that  the  meeting 
has  already  done  a  great  deal  of  good.  A  deeper  in- 
terest in  divine  things  has  been  awakened  among  Chris- 
tians, and  all  the  people  have  begun  to  think  and 
talk  about  religion.  Quite  a  number  have  found  the 
Savior,  and  many  others  are  seeking.  We  hope  that 
our  Baptist  brethren,  all  over  the  city,  will  crowd  the 
house  at  every  service,  and  unite  with  Dr.  Teasdale  and 
Prof.  Parker  to  work  for  the  salvation  of  the  people." 

The  above  extracts  were  taken  from  the  Baptist 
Reflector. 

From  Nashvillle,  Dr.  T.  went  home  to  Knoxville, 
where  he  met  his  wife,  from  whom  he  had  been  sep- 


292    *          REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

arated  about  eight  months.  He  spent  only  three  or 
four  days  at  home,  and  then  went  to  Athens,  Ala.,  to 
hold  a  series  of  revival  meetings  in  that  place.  About 
fifty  persons  professed  conversion  in  that  meeting, 
which  continued  two  weeks.  Among  the  converts  were 
a  number  of  young  ladies  connected  with  the  Female 
College  in  the  village,  under  the  management  of  Prof. 
Smith  and  his  wife.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the 
Methodist  Church,  the  Baptist  Church  being  used  at 
the  time  for  school  purposes.  Dr.  T.  did  all  the 
preaching  on  the  occasion,  as  he  is  wont  to  do  in  his 
meetings,  and  had  entire  control  of  the  exercises 
throughout  the  meeting.  But  the  pastors  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian,  and  Methodist  Churches,  and 
their  members  generally,  cordially  co-operated  in  the 
meeting;  and  the  spirit  of  brotherly  love  seemed,  for 
the  time  being,  at  least,  to  overcome  sectarian  preju- 
dices. The  object  of  all  seemed  to  be  to  win  souls  to 
Christ;  and  to  this  end  the  earnest  and  united  efforts 
of  all  God's  people  were  constantly  directed.  And  as 
a  legitimate  consequence  all  the  denominations  shared 
in  the  benefits  of  the  good  work. 

In  the  latter  part  of  March,  1878,  Dr.  T.  went  to 
Rome,  Ga.,  to  assist  Rev.  G.  A.  Nunnally,  in  a  series 
of  meetings  in  the  Baptist  Church  in  that  city.  His 
success  there  was  remarkable.  Nearly  one  hundred 
professed  conversion  during  his  three  weeks'  labor 
there,  a  large  proportion  of  whom  united  with  the 
Baptist  Church.  Quite  a  number  who  had  been  hold- 
ing their  letters  of  dismission  for  a  longer,  or  shorter 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  293 

period,  were  induced  to  put  them  in  the  church  on  this 
occasion.  Of  this  meeting  and  its  results,  the  pastor, 
in  a  communication  to  the  Christian  Index,  makes  the 
following  statement,  viz.  : 

"The  meeting  has  been  in  progress  three  weeks. 
The  interest  has  been  deep  and  intense.  The  congre- 
gations, night  and  morning,  have  been  large  and  atten- 
tive. Seventy  have  been  added  to  the  church,  and 
there  are  yet  others  who  will  soon  publicly  put  on 
Christ.  The  church  has  been  greatly  revived,  and  in- 
structed and  encouraged.  They  are  bolder  and  wiser, 
and  are  full  of  faith  and  ready  for  every  good  work. 
Dr.  Wharton  was  with  the  pastor  a  few  days,  and 
preached  three  or  four  earnest  and  effective  sermons. 

Dr.  Teasdale,  as  an  independent  Evangelist,  has  been 
with  the  pastor  from  the  beginning,  preaching,  or  con- 
ducting Bible  readings  twice  each  day.  He  is  a  man 
of  remarkable  vigor  of  mind,  strength  of  body  and 
earnestness  of  soul.  He  never  tires,  or  even  seems 
wearied. 

His  presentation  of  truth  is  clear  and  forcible.  At 
times  he  is  really  eloquent,  but  never  in  his  flashes  of 
oratory  does  he  forget  his  argument.  His  illustrations, 
always  quite  to  the  point,  are  drawn  from  his  large 
experience,  and  from  nature.  The  great  beauty  and 
excellence  of  his  labors  consist  in  the  instruction  which 
he  imparts.  His  constant-  endeavor  seems  to  be  to 
teach,  not  to  excite;  to  confirm,  not  to  inflame,  the 
disciples  of  Jesus. 

While  the  Doctor  has  a  due  regard  to  all  the  Chris- 


294  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

tian  courtesies,  he  is  a  Baptist,  and  he  never  fails  to 
impress  his  hearers  with  the  correctness  of  Baptist 
doctrine  and  practice.  He  leaves  Rome  to  hold  a 
series  of  meetings  with  the  church  at  Forsyth.  May 
God  bless  his  labors  abundantly. 

G.  A.  NUNNALLY,  Pastor." 

From  Rome,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Forsyth,  Ga.,  to  assist 
Rev.  Dr.  Hilly er  in  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Baptist 
Church  of  that  town.  The  interest  in  the  exercises 
here  was  very  intense.  Dr.  T.'s  stay  was  short,  but 
the  results  of  his  labors  were  very  happy.  Of  this 
meeting  Dr.  Hillyer  writes  to  the  Christian  Index  as 
follows,  viz  : 

"Dr.  T.  C.  Teasdale  has  been  holding  a  series  of 
meetings  with  our  church  in  this  place.  He  preached 
his  first  sermon  on  Wednesday  night,  April  20th,  and 
his  last  on  Saturday  morning  May  llth. 

The  congregations  became  interested  from  the  very 
beginning.  The  house  was  very  nearly  filled  every 
night,  except  on  two  occasions,  when  we  were  inter- 
rupted by  very  bad  weather. 

The  Doctor  proved  himself  to  be  a  skillful  and  able 
evangelist.  His  style  is  perfectly  free  from  sensa- 
tionalism. He  appeals  to,  the  heart,  it  is  true,  but 
through  the  reason  and  judgment  of  his  hearers.  His 
exhibition  of  Divine  truth  is  clear,  forcible  and  con- 
vincing ;  and  so  plain  that  «ven  the  young,  and  the  un- 
learned, can  understand  him.  No  careful  listener  can 
fail  to  be  edified  and  instructed  under  his  ministrations. 
At  every  call  many  crowded  to  the  front  seats  for 


Or  A  LONG  LIFE.  295 

prayer.     We  hope  there  have  been  many  conversions  ; 
exactly  how   many    we   cannot  state   at  this   writing. 
And  we  also   have   reason   to  hope  that   God's  people 
.have  been  greatly  revived. 

Besides  regular  preaching  every  night,  the  Doctor 
held  a  prayer-meeting  for  one  hour  every  morning. 
In  this  meeting,  the  exercises  were  made  very  instruct- 
ive by  Bible  readings,  accompanied  with  brief  but 
telling  expositions,  directed  to  the  elucidation  of  some 
fundamental  truth.  These  readings,  at  first,  were 
thinly  attended,  but  the  interest  in  them  continued  to 
increase  till  the  congregations  were  as  large  as  we 
could  expect  at  that  hour  of  the  day. 

We  sincerely  rejoice  that  our  brother  has  labored  so 
faithfully  with  us.  We  hope  the  effect  of  the  truth 
already  dispensed  will  yet  bear  much  fruit.  May  our 
brethren  everywhere  pray  for  Forsyth.  We  still  need 
a  deeper,  a  wider  work  of  grace  among  us.  We  are 
yet  in  the  midst  of  the  h'giit.  The  victory  is  not  com- 
plete. Oh!  that  God  would  give  us  the  victory 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

On  yesterday  we  received  by  experience  five,  and  by 
letter  one.  Several  others  will  probably  join  on  next 
Sunday. 

Forsyth,  May  13,  1878." 

Of  the  labors  of  Dr.  T.  in  Forsyth,  the  city  paper, 
The  Monroe  Advertiser,  contained  the  following 
notices : 

"RELIGIOUS  MEETINGS. 

Rev.  T.  C.  Teasdale,  D.  D.,  of  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  is 


296  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENT! 

assisting  Dr.  Hillyer  in  conducting  a  series  of  meetings 
at  the  Baptist  Church.  Dr.  T.  preached  every  evening 
during  the  past  week  and  on  the  Sabbath  morning  and 
evening.  He  will  continue  to  preach  every  evening 
during  the  present  week  and  possibly  longer.  He  is  a 
man  of  much  learning  and  great  ability,  and  is  fervent 
and  zealous  in  his  manner.  Every  one  of  his  hearers 
is  thoroughly  convinced  of  his  sincerity  and  earnest- 
ness and  his  warm  hearted  admonitions  are  having  a 
marked  effect.  The  indications  are  that  there  will  in 
reality  be  a  great  religious  revival  in  the  community, 
affecting  the  members  of  all  the  churches  and  the  com- 
raunit}'  in  general. 

Dr.  Teasdale  is  not  a  young  man,  though  he  says  he 
can  perform  more  ministerial  labor  than  the  young 
preachers.  Age  has  silvered  his  locks  but  he  is  as  ear- 
nest and  as  vigorous,  and  perhaps  more  effective  in  his 
preaching  than  he  would  be  if  he  could  recall  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century.  He  has  had  large  experience  in  con- 
ducting revival  meetings,  in  cities  and  towns,  and  is 
thoroughly  at  home  in  this  work. 

We  earnestly  hope  that  the  most  abundant  suc- 
cess may  be  sent  him  and  his  co-laborers  in  their 
great  and  all  important  work  in  which  they  are  engag- 
ed. 

The  services  Sunday  night  were  attended  by  a  large 
and  serious  audience.  There  was  no  service  in  the 
Methodist  Church  at  that  hour  and  all  the  church-goers 
assembled  at  the  Baptist  Church.  The  sermon  was 
solemn  and  impressive,  and  many  presented  themselves 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  297 

as  special  objects  of  prayer,  among  the  number  some 
of  our  best  citizens." 

"REV.  DR.  TEASDALE. 

This  gentleman  closed  his  ministerial  labors  in 
Forsyth  last  Saturday  morning  and  left  to  conduct  a 
series  of  meetings  in  Dr.  Skinner's  church  in  Macon. 
The  people  of  this  place  have  just  cause  for  gratitude 
to  the  Providence  that  sent  him  to  labor  among  them. 
About  twenty-five  have  professed  faith  in  Christ,  and 
others  are  still  earnestly  seeking.  All  denominations 
have  co-operated  in  the  good  work,  and  many  church 
members  have  been  revived  in  their  religious  feelings, 
and  awakened  to  a  deeper  sense  of  personal  responsi- 
bility, which  we  trust  will  be  abiding, 

Dr.  T.  is  in  many  respects  a  remarkable  man.  He  ap- 
pears to  be  about  70  years  of  age,  but  carries  no  sign 
of  age  except  his  "silver  locks."  His  powers  of  en- 
durance, his  energy,,  his  immense  nervous  force  and 
his  pertinacity  rebuke  the  effeminacy  of  many  of  the 
young  of  our  time.  These  qualities,  united  to  a  fine 
and  well-cultured  intellect,  and  deep  consecration  to 
his  holy  calling,  qualify  him  peculiarly  for  the  work 
of  an  itinerant  revivalist.  The  first  impression  that  he 
makes  upon  an  audience  is  that  he  is  a  "live  man," 
and  that  impression  deepens  to  the  end  of  his  labors. 
Every  thought,  every  gesture,  seems  to  mean  business. 
Nor  does  he  hamper  himself  with  narrow  and  restricted 
theological  views.  The  gospel  he  preaches  is  as  broad 
as  his  own  heart  is  benevolent  and  true,  and  to  this 
fact  much  of  his  success  is  attributable.  When  it 


298  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

pleases  the  Master  to  "translate"  him  (for  it  seems 
probable  he  will  go  off  the  stage  that  way)  may  his 
"mantle,"  and  a  "double  portion  of  his  spirit"  fall 
upon  the  incoming  generation  of  preachers.  If  this 
should  be  so,  they  will  not  preach  to  empty  churches 
at  starvation  rates." 

From  Forsyth,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Macon,  Ga.  His 
labors  here  were  wonderfully  successful.  It  was  es- 
timated by  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner,  pastor  of  the  church  with 
which  the  meeting  was  held,  that  some  two  hundred 
souls  were  converted  as  the  result  of  Dr.  T.'s  efforts 
in  that  city.  The  work  spread  into  the  various  con- 
gregations in  the  city,  which  contributed  largely  to 
enhance  the  results  above  mentioned.  All  concurred 
in  the  opinion  that  there  had  never  been  a  work  of 
grac,e  in  Macon  before,  which  was  so  generally  per- 
vasive, and  whose  influence  was  so  profound  and  so 
salutary.  Of  this  work  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner,  in  a  letter 
to  the  Christian  Index,  thus  writes: 

"Brother  S.  Boy  kin  promised  to  write  you  a  letter 
telling  of  the  merciful  work  of  grace  in  Macon,  during 
the  months  of  April,  May  and  part  of  June.  I  write 
merely  to  say  that  the  results  are  fifty-eight  baptized 
and  others  received  for  baptism.  The  additions  by 
letter  will  probably  reach  twenty.  Never  did  a  church 
receive  a  greater  blessing  in  the  quickening  of  its 
members,  and  in  bringing  out  the  working  force  of  the 
people  of  God. 

All  pray  in  public.  The  new  converts  respond  when 
called  on  to  pray ;  a  dozen  old  ones,  who  heretofore 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  299 

had  not  opened  their  mouths  in  prayer,  responded  when 
called  on.  Several  of  the  new  converts  prayed  before 
they  were  baptized.  Several  cases  of  restoration  re- 
sponded when  called  on,  immediately  after  confessing 
their  back-slidings  and  asking  for  the  prayers  of  the 
brethren. 

There  have  been  over  one  hundred  conversions  in 
connection  with  our  congregation  ;  the  ingathering  is 
not  finished,  the  revival  is  not  ended,  though  the  meet- 
ings closed  on  Saturday,  the  15th  of  June.  More  than 
two  hundred  souls  have  united  with  the  various  churches 
in  the  city.  The  preaching  was  done  by  Dr.  Teasdale, 
who  is  the  best  preacher  I  have  ever  heard  as  an  evan- 
gelist. 

Dr.  Teasdale  preached  three  weeks  for  me  in  Raleigh, 
North  Carolina,  in  the  year  1856,  and  I  feel  confident 
he  is  a  better  preacher  now  than  then,  and  stranger 
yet,  that  he  can  endure  more  labor  and  fatigue  now, 
in  his  seventieth  year,  than  he  could  twenty-two  years; 
ago.  He  does  not  set  aside  the  pastor;  he  does  not 
dictate,  save  to  the  sinner,  and  then  in  the  terms  and 
on  the  conditions  of  the  Master  himself.  Macon  loves 
Dr.  Teasdale,  and  may  Atlanta,  under  God,  have 
reason  to  say  as  much.  T.  E.  SKINNER." 

Of  Dr.  T.'s  work  in  Macon,  the  Telegraph  and  Mes- 
senger, the  daily  paper  of  the  city,  made  frequent 
complimentary  notices.  The  following,  in  the  Sunday 
morning  issue,  June  2,  1878,  is  given  as  a  specimen: 

"THE    BAPTIST   REVIVAL. 

All  who  have  attended  the  series  of   meetings  which 


300  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

have  been  progressing  under  the  auspices  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Teasdale  and  the  pastor,  Dr.  Skinner,  in  the  First 
Baptist  Church,  for  the  past  three  weeks,  express 
themselves  as  greatly  refreshed  and  edified.  Many 
souls,  near  forty  in  all,  are  rejoicing  in  the  hope  of 
salvation,  and  still  the  interest  is  undiminished,  and 
the  good  work  goes  on.  The  meetings  have  been 
characterized  by  great  solemnity  and  the  absence  of 
all  excitement. 

Dr.  Teasdale  has  been  untiring  in  his  labors,  and  it 
is  simply  wonderful  how  one  of  his  advanced  age  and 
feeble  physique  has  been  able  to  preach  twice  every 
day,  and  visit,  and  pray,  and  strive  as  he  has  done  in 
the  Master's  service.  Surely  it*  is  because  God  is 
with  him." 

From  Macon,  Dr.  T.  went  home  to  visit  his  family 
in  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  two  or  three  days,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Atlanta,  Ga.,  to  assist  Dr.  A.  T.  Spalding 
in  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Second  Baptist  Church 
in  that  flourishing  city.  He  remained  in  Atlanta  three 
weeks,  and  did  a  good  deal  of  hard  work  while  he  was 
there.  He  held  Bible  Readings  at  8:30  a.  in.  every 
day,  during  the  first  week  of  the  meeting,  in  the  main 
audience  room  of  the  church  ;  and  for  the  remainder 
of  the  time,  he  held  his  day  meetings  in  the  United 
States  Court  Room,  at  5  o'clock  p.  m.  He  preached 
everv  night  in  the  church;  and,  for  the  most,  part  to 
very  large  and  attentive  audiences.  But  owing  to  a 
combination  of  untoward  circumstances,  his  efforts  in 
Atlanta  were  not  attended  with  as  much  success  as 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  301 

usunl.  The  nights  were  at  their  shortest;  the  weather 
was  intensely  hot;  and  the  examinations  and  exhibi- 
tions of  the  schools  came  on  in  the  midst  of  the  meet- 
ing. These,  with  other  almost  insurmountable  ob- 
stacles, operated  against  the  success  of  the  work.  But 
still  many  brethren  expressed  themselves  as  being 
greatly  profited  in  the  meeting,  and  some  souls  were 
happily  converted  to  Christ.  It  is  hoped  in  the  day 
of  final  revelation  it  may  be  found  that  the  seed  sown 
in  Atlanta,  amid  so  much  discouragement,  after  all, 
brought  forth  an  abundant  harvest  of  happy  fruits. 

The  following  notice  of  Dr.  Teasdale's  arrival  in 
Atlanta,  was  given  in  the  Christian  Index,  published 
in  that  city  : 

"We  are  much  gratified  to  know  tha't  Dr.  Teasdale  is 
in  our  city,  and  will. remain  during  the  week,  assisting 
Dr.  A.  T.  Spalding  in  a  series  of  meetings  at  the  Second 
Church.  Dr.  Teasdale  is  not  only  a  man  of  profound 
piety,  but  one  whose  preaching  is  frequently  accom- 
panied by  the  power  of  God's  Spirit  in  the  conviction 
and  the  conversion  of  sinners.  He  has  just  concluded 
a  glorious  revival  meeting  at  the  church  of  Dr.  Skin- 
ner, in  Macon,  which  was  preceded  by  a  gracious  re- 
vival under  his  ministry  at  Forsyth.  He  is  a  noble 
man,  full  of  good  works." 

After  the  close  of  his  labors  in  Atlanta,  Dr.  T.  went 
home  again  for  a  few  days,  and  then  returned  to 
Georgia  to  assist  Dr.  Crawford  in  a  series  of  meetings 
in  his  church  in  Madison.  Madison  was  regarded  as 
one  of  the  hardest  places  in  Georgia.  Infidelity,  in 


302  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

almost  all  its  phases,  was  rampant  in  high  places  there. 
It  was  doubted  whether  anything  could  be  effected  for 
the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  truth  in  that  skepti- 
cal community.  But  God  graciously  blessed  his 
own  truth  to  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  some 
twenty-five,  or  thirty  precious  souls,  many  of  whom 
were  baptized  and  added  to  the  church  before  the  meet- 
ing closed.  Among  these  converts  were  a  son  and 
grand-daughter  of  one  of  the  prominent  skeptics  in 
the  place.  Of  this  meeting,  the  pastor  gave  the  follow- 
ing account  in  the  Christian  Index,  viz  : 

"Our  brother,  Dr.  Teasdale,  commenced  a  meeting 
with  us  on  Sunday,  the  21st  of  July,  and  closed  to- 
night. During  this  time  he  held  two  services  daily,  in 
the  morning  giving  a  Bible  reading,  and  in  the  evening 
a  sermon.  He  has  had  a  good  audience,  and  com- 
manded their  attention  to  the  end.  His  preaching  has 
been  earnest,  and  thoroughly  Scriptural.  His  reason- 
ing was  clear,  well  calculated  to  convince,  and  he 
abounded  in  incidents,  illustrative  of  the  positions  he 
wished  to  enforce.  Those  Christians  who  attended  the 
morning  services  enjoyed  them  greatly,  and  derived 
from  them  much  benefit.  As  the  result  of  his  labors, 
sixteen — six  of  them  young  men — have  been  added  to 
the  church,  and  there  are  others  who  are  claiming  a 
hope  in  Christ.  Most  of  these  converts  are  from  the 
Sunday-school,  their  ages  ranging  from  about  fifteen  to 
twenty-one,  and  their  experiences  were  remarkably 
clear  and  satisfactory.  They  all  express  themselves  as 
desiring  to  work  for  Christ,  and  we  trust  and  be- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  303 

lieve   they   will  be  useful  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 

Thus,  you  see  that  the  Savior  has  blessed  the  coming 
of  our  brother  among  us.  We  hope  that  we  shall  yet 
see  other,  and,  it  may  be,  greater  results  from  his 
visit.  He  is  a  bold,  faithful,  earnest  and  yet  tender 
and  loving  worker,  untiring  in  his  zeal,  fearless  in  his 
utterances,  and  skillful  in  the  use  of  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit — the  Word  of  God. 

We  shall  long  remember  him  and  his  visit,  and  pray 
that  his  life  may  be  prolonged  that  he  may  continue  to 
labor  for  the  Lord  and  win  souls  to  Christ. 

Fraternally, 

W.  B.  CRAWFORD." 

From  Madison,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Gainesville,  Ga.,  and 
assisted  Rev.  Mr.  Wilkcs,  in  a  meeting  there* of  two 
weeks  continuance.  This  meeting  was  blessed  to  the 
building  up  of  Christians  in  their  holy  faith,  and  in  the 
awakening  and  conversion  of  a  number  of  precious 
souls,  most  of  whom  were  baptized  and  added  to  the 
church  before  the  meeting  closed. 

From  Gainesville,  Dr.  T.  went  home  and  spent  a 
few  days  with  his  family,  and  then  went  to  Chattanoo- 
ga to  assist  Rev.  Mr.  Matthis  in  a  meeting  in  his  church 
in  South  Chattanooga.  This  was  a  very  weak  interest ; 
and  Dr.  T.  went  there  for  the  purpose  of  giving  it  aid  if 
possible.  He  spent  two  weeks  in  earnest  work  there 
to  the  manifest  benefit  of  the  little  church.  Quite  a 
number  of  persons  were  hopefully  converted,  and  ten 
of  them  were  baptized  and  added  to  the  church  the 
day  before  he  left  the  city. 


304  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

The  yellow  fever  broke  out  while  the  meeting  was 
yet  in  progress  in  Chattanooga  ;  and  although  Dr.  T. 
did  not  leave  the  city  until  the  time  had  fully  expired 
which  he  had  intended  to  give  to  evangelistic  work 
with  that  church,  yet  it  immediately  broke  up  the 
meeting  after  he  left  the  place.  But  for  that  terrible 
scourge  the  meeting  would  have  been  continued  for 
some  time  longer;  and  it  is  thought  that  many  more 
might  have  been  brought  into  the  church  if  the  meet- 
ing had  not  been  thus  suddenly  brought  to  a  close. 

In  October,  1878,  Dr.  T.  assisted  the  Rev.  H.  D.  D. 
Straton,  in  a  meeting  of  some  three  weeks  continuance 
in  the  town  of  Greenesboro,  Greene  County,  Ga., 
which  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  some  twenty-five  or 
thirty  persons.  Eighteen  were  baptized  and  added  to  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  one  was  restored.  Of  this  meet- 
ing the  pastor  furnished  the  following  account  for  the 
Christian  Index,  while  the  work  was  still  progressing: 

"I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  our  meeting  under 
the  leadership  of  Dr.  T.  C.  Teasdale,  is  assuming  con- 
siderable interest  and  proportion.  The  attendance  has 
been  large,  and  the  attention  deepening  from  the  start. 
I  baptized  eight  personsjon  Monday,  31st  ult.,  and  six 
others  last  Thursday.  One  was  restored.  We  expect 
to  baptize  others  on  Monday  next.  The  Spirit  of  God 
has  been  poured  out,  and  many  are  inquiring  the  way 
of  salvation.  Dr.  Teasdale  preaches  the  gospel  with 
great  tenderness  and.  power.  Although  seventy  years 
of  age,  he  speaks  with  all  the  vigor,  freshness  and 
force  of  a  man  of  forty.  His  methods  are  simple^ 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  305 

and  Scriptural ;  and  there  is  none  of  that  turgidity,  and 
clap-trap  that  characterize  too  much  the  labors  of  many 
who  make  a  specialty  of  evangelistic  work.  He  is  a 
cultivated,  and  scholarly  man,  who  commands  the 
respect,  and  enlists  the  sympathies  of  his  audience  at 
once.  The  church,  as  a  whole,  have  come  nobly  to 
the  work,  and  we  are  praying  for  and  expect  results 
from  this  meeting,  the  moral  force  of  which  shall  not 
expire  with  the  brief  season  that  has  given  it  birth." 

At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  on  the  last  night  of  the 
meeting,  the  pastor  baptized  four  persons,  thus  mak- 
ing the  number  received  by  baptism,  during  the  meet- 
ing, eighteen,  as  above  stated.  The  parting  exercises 
were  touching,  as  a  large  part  of  that  vast  audience 
came  forward  to  extend  to  Dr.  T,.  their  final  adieus, 
and  bid  him  a  hearty  God-speed  in  his  work,  wherever 
ho  might  be  called  to  labor  for  the  Master. 

Dr.  Teasdale,  after  closing  his  labors  in  Greensboro, 
in  company  with  Judge  Robinson,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Straton,  made  a  visit  to  Liberty  Hill — the  home  of 
the  distinguished  Hon.  Alex.  H.  Stephens,  the  follow- 
ing account  of  which  was  furnished  for  the  Baptist 
Reflector : 

"UNION  POINT,  GA.,  Oct.  1G,  1878. 

Messrs.  Editors :  After  concluding  my  labors  in 
Greensboro,  which  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  some 
twenty -five  or  thirty,  the  baptism  of  eighteen,  and  the 
restoration  of  one  backslider,  I  left  that  place  on  Mon- 
day last,  in  company  with  Judge  Robinson  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Straton,  to  nvike  a  visit  to  Liberty  Hall  (which 


306  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

means,  in  the  interpretation  of  its  distinguished  pro- 
prietor, everybody's  home)  to  spend  a  night  with  the 
great  Commoner  of  Georgia,  the  Hon.  Alex.  H. 
Stephens.*  I  have  known  him  ever  since  1852,  when  I 
removed  to  Washington  City,  to  take  charge  of  one  of 
the  Baptist  Churches  in  that  great  Metropolis.  He 
had  then  been  a  member  of  Congress  for  several  years, 
and  continued. to  occupy  that  position  until  about  the 
commencement  of  our  late  civil  war.  He  was  elected, 
as  everybody  knows,  as  'Vice-President  of  the  Con- 
federacy, on  the  ticket  with  Jeff.  Davis,  President. 
He  held  that  position  until  our  cause  was  lost,  and  then 
for  a  season  retired  to  private  life.  But  as  soon  as 
carpet-bag  rule  was  suppressed  and  reconstruction  was 
effected,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  United  States 
Congress,  of  whose  body  he  is  likely  to  remain  a  prom- 
inent member  as  long  as  he  lives,  unless  he  should  be 
called  to  fill  a  more  important  position. 

Mr.  Stephens  is  now  sixty-six  years  of  age.  He  has 
been  an  invalid  for  many  years.  He  can  hobble  about 
a  little  on  his  crutches,  but  his  main  dependence  for 
locomotion  is  on  a  chair  constructed  on  wheels,  and 
which  is  easily  managed,  without  much  fatigue,  by  its 
occupant.  I  have  seen  only  a  few  of  these  chairs  any- 
where ;  they  are  excellent  for  invalids. 

Mr.  Stephens  keeps  a  neat  carriage,  and  the  cele- 
brated pair  of  grays,  of  political  notoriety  here  in 
Georgia.  We  were  met  at  the  depot  by  a  nephew  of 
his,  and  escorted  by  him  to  Liberty  Hall,  in  the  said 
carriage  and  by  the  said  grays.  It  is  unnecessary  to 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  307 

say  that  we  met  a  cordial  reception  by  our  distinguish- 
ed host,  and  that  everything  was  done  by  him  to  make 
our  visit  agreeable,  and  our  stay  at  his  hospitable  home 
most  delightful. 

We  reached  Liberty  Hall  about  half-past  two  o'clock 
p.  m.,  and  after  suitable  ablutions  from  the  dust  of 
the  "Georgia  Railroad"  (which  none  can  fully  com- 
prehend but  by  experience)  and  a  brief  season  of  rest, 
we  were  again  seated  in  the  comfortable  carriage,  be- 
hind the  noted  grays,  and  by  the  side  of  our  distin- 
guished and  most  affable  host,  for  a  little  airing  in  the 
country.  Our  route  was  a  very  pleasant  one,  on  a 
good  ridge  ^oad,  and  we  were  soon  three  or  four  miles 
out  of  the  village.  All  suddenly  we  were  halted  at  the 
dwelling  of  a  prosperous  old  negro  man,  and  Mr.  Ste- 
phens invited  us  to  accompany  him  into  the  house.  We 
found  there  an  excellent  farm-house,  with  every  token 
of  neatness  and  comfort.  The  old  man  had  purchased 
the  farm,  with  all  its  appurtenances,  for  $3,000,  and 
had  paid  every  dollar  of  the  purchase  money,  and 
seemed  to  be  well  supplied  with  stock  and  implements 
of  husbandry.  He  told  us  that  he  did  not  owe  a  dol- 
lar to  anybody.  To  our  questions  as  to  how  he  man- 
aged to  make  money  so  easy,  he  replied:  "I  raises 
everything  I  wants,  on  my  place — wheat,  corn,  oats, 
peas — everything  I  needs.  So  I  has  my  cotton  crop 
free.  That's  the  way  I  manages."  I  could  but  feel 
that  thousands  of  the  deluded  men,  throughout  the 
South,  might  go  to  this  untutored  negro,  and  learn 
wisdom  from  him  as  to  the  advantages  of  diversifying 


308  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

their  crops.  But  multitudes  of  them  have  cotton  on 
the  brain,  and  you  might  as  well  reason  with  a  lunatic 
as  with  them.  Cotton  with  them  is  not  only  king,  but 
a  god ;  and  with  this  mania  they  will,  doubtless,  go 
down  to  their  graves.  It  is  hoped,  however,  that  the 
coming  generations  will  be  wiser,  in  this  regard',  than 
their  ancestors,  and  that  thov  will  forsake,  in  this  par- 
ticular, the  steps  of  their  illustrious  predecessors. 

After  refreshing  ourselves  with  a  draught  of  excel- 
lent water,  and  partaking  of  a  nice  treat  of  soft 
October  peaches,  we  returned  directly  to  Liberty  Hall, 
where  an  excellent  repast  awaited  us.  After  supper, 
the  time  was  spent  in  agreeable  conversation,  and  at 
an  early  hour  we  all  retired  for  a  night's  repose. 

Everything  around  Liberty  Hall,  and  in  it,  is  in 
primitive  style.  Mr.  Stephens  has  never  been  mar- 
ried ;  and  he  trusts  the  management  of  his  domestic 
affairs  to  servants  almost  altogether.  His  boy,  Alex, 
accompanies  him  on  all  his  journeys,  and  is  his  con- 
stant attendant  in  Washington  City.  We  remarked  to 
Alex,  that  he  was  honored  above  most  of  us,  in  that  he 
went  to  Congress  every  year,  which  seemed  to  please 
him  very  much. 

Mr.  Stephens  makes  his  speeches  while  sitting  on 
his  movable  chair  ;  and  hence  he  carries  his  chair  with 
him  while  canvassing  his  district,  and  takes  it  with  him 
to  Washington  City.  He  is  unable  to  stand  to  make  a 
speech,  even  with  the  aid  of  his  crutches.  He  has 
almost  entirely  recovered  from  his  recent  hemorrhages, 
and  if  nothing  unforeseen  occurs,  he  will  be  in  his  place 


Or  A  LONG  LIFE.  309 

in  Congress  on  the  first  Monday  in  December  next. 
Long  live  the  great  Commoner  ! 

Mr.  Stephens  pointed  out  to  us,  from  his  back  porch 
at  Liberty  Hall,  his  farm  in  the  country.  It  is  some 
two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  village,  and  seems  to  be 
a  pleasant  place.  His  unbounded  hospitality,  and  his 
unremitting  kindness  to  the  poor  of  both  races,  will 
forever  preclude  the  possibility  of  his  amassing  wealth. 
I  doubt  whether,  from  his  salary  in  Congress,  his  in- 
come from  his  plantation,  and  his  attorney  fees,  he 
does  more  than  make  ends  meet  at  the  close  of  the 
year.  He  is  one  of  the  few  men  who  do  not  live  for 
themselves. 

Mr.  Stephens  has  a  large  library,  which,  he  informed 
us,  cost  him  some  $16,000.  He  can  order  any  book 
he  wants,  telling  just  where  it  is.  He  has  also  some 
excellent  pictures,  decorating  the  walls  of  his  parlor 
and  other  rooms.  He  has  contributed  largely  to  the 
Baptist  Church,  near  his  house,  since  the  war — say 
$750  ;  and  has  allowed  the  Methodists  to  build  a  meet- 
ing-house on  one  corner  of  his  front  yard.  He  has 
profound  reverence  for  religion,  and  is,  doubtless,  I 
think,  a  devout  Christian. 

On  Tuesday  morning,  at  9  :45,  we  took  our  leave 
of  Crawford ville,  the  life-long  home  of  Mr.  Steph- 
ens, and  I  stopped  at  Union  Point,  while  my  fel- 
low-travelers went  back  to  their  homes  in  Greens- 
boro. 

I  commenced  a  series  of  meetings  here  last  night, 
with  encouraging  prospects  of  success.  Three  re- 


310  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

quested  special  prayers  this  morning,  and  over  twenty 
to-night.     Pray  for  our  success ! 

Yours  fraternally, 

THOS.  C.  TEASDALE." 

From  Crawfordville,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Union  Point, 
and  preached  for  the  people  there  more  than  a  week. 
Of  this  meeting,  a  correspondent  of  the  Greensboro 
Herald  gives  the  following  account,  viz. : 

"The  series  of  meetings  conducted  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Teasdale,  in  the  Baptist  Church  here,  during  the  last 
nine  days,  have  been  largely  attended,  especially  the 
evening  services  ;  and  we  believe  much  good  has  been 
accomplished.  The  church  has  been  made  to  feel,  and, 
we  hope,  to  see  her  duty  ;  many  persons  have  been 
anxious  inquirers  after  their  spiritual  welfare,  and  the 
large  audiences  have  been  the  closest  listeners  we  have 
almost  ever  seen.  Dr.  Teasdale  is  a  profound  thinker, 
a  close  and  logical  reasoner,  a  splendid  rhetorician, 
and  is  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  his  mis- 
sion. He  puts  himself  in  complete  sympathy  with  his 
audience,  and  with  the  power  of  his  eloquence,  and  his 
earnest,  touching  pathos,  holds  them  to  the  end.  The 
prayers  of  all  Christian  people  will  be  enlisted  in  the 
mission  of  this  venerable  and  eloquent  preacher 
wherever  he  goes." 

This  correspondent  further  says,  in  another  brief 
paragraph,  "We  noticed  among  the  audience  in  the 
Baptist  Church  last  Sunday  morning,  Judge  E.  H. 
Pottle,  and  Solicitor-General  Reese.  The  pleasant 
face  of  Capt.  Pat.  Stevens,  of  Oglethorpe,  was  also 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  311 

there.  These  gentlemen  were  very  much  pleased  with 
Dr.  Teasdale's  eloquent  and  impressive  sermon  at  the 
morning  service.  They  expressed  themselves  us  hav- 
ing never  heard  a  better  sermon." 

Having  closed  his  labors  at  Union  Point,  Dr.  T.  went 
back  to  Greensboro,  where  he  was  met  at  the  depot  by 
Dr.  T.  N.  Poullain,  and  his  estimable  lady,  and  they 
rode  out  together  to  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Sanford,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Poullain,  and  partook  of 
an  excellent  dinner  prepared  by  Mrs.  Sanford  and  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Rainey,  for  the  occasion.  Miss  Mary 
Lou  Poullain,  of  Madison,  Ga.,  a  grand-daughter  of 
Dr.  Poullain,  accompanied  them  to  Mrs.  Sanford's. 
The  day  was  very  agreeably  spent  in  congenial  com- 
panionship with  the  friends  who  were  there.  Mrs. 
Sanford  is  a  mother  in  Israel,  indeed,  and  she  knows 
how  to  extend  a  cordial  welcome  to  her  Christian 
guests,  and  make  them  feel  at  home  in  her  hospitable 
mansion.  Her  excellent  son,  Thomas  D.  Sanford,  and 
her  affectionate  daughter,  Mrs.  Ella  S.  Rainey,  also 
contributed  their  full  share  to  make  the  visit  most 
agreeable. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  visiting  party  started  back 
to  Greensboro.  Mrs.  Rainey  accompanied  her  visitors 
to  the  home  of  her  sister,  Mrs.  Poullain  ;  and  the  even- 
ing was  spent  in  pleasant  conversation,  until  Morpheus 
claimed  them  for  the  night.  Refreshed  by  "Nature's 
sweet  restorer,  balmy  sleep,"  they  arose  the  next 
morning  in  health  and  comfort,  to  resume  the  impor- 
tant work  of  life.  At  half  past  1  o'clock  p.  m.  Dr.  T. 


312  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

took  leave  of  these  valued  friends,  to  meet  an  appoint- 
ment that  night  at  Crawfordville.  He  was  greeted  by 
a  large  congregation  at  Crawfordville,  and  discoursed 
to  them  on  the  subject  of  THE  UNPARDONABLE  SIN  ;  or 
THE  SIN  AGAINST  THE  HOLY  GHOST.  He  spent  the 
night  with  Mr.  Richards  ;  and  after  calling  on  the  Hon. 
Alex.  H.  Stephens,  in  the  morning,  and  spending  a 
pleasant  hour  with  him,  he  went  to  Augusta,  to  assist 
Rev.  C.  H.  Strickland  in  a  series  of  revival  meetings 

O 

in  the  Curtis  Baptist  Church  in  that  city,  of  which  he 
was  then  the  pastor.  The  meeting  commenced  the 
next  morning,  and  continued  for  two  weeks.  During 
the  first  week  of  the  meeting,  the  exercises  were  greatly 
interrupted  by  the  preparations  being  made  for  the 
unveiling  of  the  splendid  Confederate  monument,  v?hich 
occurred  towards  the  close  of  that  week.  The  ladies 
of  the  Curtis  Church  gave  a  lunch  on  the  day  of  the 
unveiling  of  the  monument,  and  the  day  following, 
and  that  absorbed  their  entire  attention  for  several 
days.  But  the  second  week  of  the  meeting  was  a  grand 
success.  Fourteen  were  baptized  that  week;  and  over 
fifty  persons  arose  for  special  prayers,  at  the  close  of 
the  last  sermon  which  Dr.  T.  preached  before  he  left. 
The  meeting  went  on,  and  over  thirty  persons  were 
brought  into  the  church  as  the  result  of  the  effort  in 

O 

that  place. 

From  Augusta,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Macon,  and  reached 
there  in  time  to  preach  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  in 
that  city,  that  night.  He  was  met  at  the  depot  in 
Macon,  by  his  esteemed  friend,  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  313 

pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  that  city,  and 
escorted  to  the  Brown  House,  where  an  excellent 
supper  awaited  him,  of  which  he  partook  before 
going  to  church.  After  service,  he  accompanied 
Dr.  Skinner  to  his  boarding  house,  and  spent  the 
night  very  pleasantly  there.  Dr.  Skinner  was  then 
boarding,  because  his  wife  and  children  were  in  New 
York,  whither  they  hadgone  on  account  of  the  illness 
of  Mrs.  Skinner  and  for  whose  benefit,  her  excellent 
father,  Deacon  Ludlow,  was  anxious  she  should  be 
placed  under  the  care  of  the  ablest  physicians  in  that 
city. 

The  next  morning,  Dr.  T.  parted  with  Dr.  Skinner 
and  other  friends  in  Macon,  at  the  depot,  and  went  to 
Perry,  Ga.,  to  assist  Rev.  Dr.  Tharpe  in  a  series  of 
meetings  in  his  church  in  that  place.  The  brethren  in 
Perry  had  recently  dedicated  their  new  church  edifice, 
which  was  completely  paid  for,  and  which  is  really  one 
of  the  neatest  and  most  tasteful  meeting-houses  in  the 
state  ;  and  they  now  desired  to  experience  a  Bible  re- 
vival of  religion  to  crown  their  work.  God  heard  their 
prayer,  and  gave  them  a  rich  blessing  in  the  meeting. 
Between  thirty  and  forty  professed  hope  in  Christ 
during  the  nineteen  days  of  Dr.  T.'s  stay  with  them, 
twenty  of  whom  had  been  baptized  before  he  left  the 
place.  The  meeting  was  to  be  continued,  as  some 
twenty  persons  requested  special  prayer,  at  the  close 
of  the  last  sermon  which  Dr.  T.  preached  there.  He 
found  a  pleasant  home  in  Perry  at  the  house  of  Dr. 
Tharpe,  the  pastor,  as  he  had  done  in  Nashville  at  the 


314  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

house  of  his  friend,  Dr.  J.  P.  Dake ;  and  at  Athens, 
Ala.,  at  the  Chouse  of  Mr.  Tanner;  and  at  Rome,  at  the 
house  of  the  pastor,  Rev.  G.  A.  Nunnally;  and  at 
Forsyth,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Amos ;  and  at  Ma- 
con,  at  the  house  of  the  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner;  and 
at  Atlanta,  at  the  house  of  Judge  Neal ;  and  at  Madi- 
son, at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Foster;  and  at  Greensboro, 
at  the  houses  of  Dr.  Poullain  and  brother  Irby ;  and  at 
Union  Point,  at  the  house  of  brother  Bryant ;  and  at 
Augusta,  at  the  house  of  the  pastor,  Rev.  C.  H.  Strick- 
land. He  was  also  well  entertained  l>y  three  different 
families  in  Gainesville.  It  seemed  to  him  that  wher- 
ever he  went,  in  all  the  places  named,  the  friends  vied 
with  each  other  in  making  his  stay  with  them  most 
agreeable  and  happy. 

From  Perry,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Albany,  Ga.,  to  assist 
the  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Riley,  in  a  series  of  meetings  in 
that  city.  The  weather  was  very  unfavorable  for  the 
meeting,  and  interfered  greatly  with  its  success.  The 
interest  was  constantly  increasing  in  the  meeting  until 
Friday  night,  the  second  week  of  the  meeting.  On 
that  night  there  were  over  twenty  persons  that  re- 
quested special  prayer,  and  several  expressed  a  hope  in 
Christ.  Then  a  severe  rain  storm  set  in,  which  lasted  two 
or  three  days,  and  prevented  the  people  from  assem- 
bling almost  altogether.  The  interest,  however,  was 
again  revived,  and  the  prospect  became  quite  flattering. 
On  the  following  Thursday  night  there  were  some  fif- 
teen persons  who  came  forward  for  prayers,  and  eight 
or  ten  of  them  expressed  the  hope  that  they  had  ob- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  315 

iained  pardon  and  salvation.  Then  another  severe 
rain  storm  set  in,  which  prevented  the  holding  of  any 
meetings  again  until  Sunday.  On  that  night  the  meet- 
ings closed.  It  was  thought  that  some  twelve  or  fif- 
teen were  converted  during  the  meeting. 


316  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


After  concluding  his  labors  in  Albany,  Dr.  T.  went 
home  to  spend  a  portion  of  the  Christmas  holidays 
with  his  family,  in  Knoxville,  Tenn.  During  his  stay 
in  Knoxville,  he  preached  for  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
morning  and  night,  on  Sunday,  the  29th  of  December. 
His  sermon  in  the  morning  was  on  Heaven;  and  at 
night  it  was  on  Hell.  Of  the  latter  discourse,  the  ed- 
itor of  the  Knoxville  Daily  Tribune,  in  his  issue  on 
the  next  Tuesday  morning,  gave  the  following  account : 
"  'Hell'  was  the  subject  of  an  interesting  discourse 
delivered  by  T.  C.  Teasdale,  D.  D.,  in  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church,  Sunday  night,  during  Avhich  this  venerable 
divine  took  occasion  to  assert  his  faith  in  the  literal 
meaning  of  Holy  Writ  in  reference  to  that  region 
'beyond  the  river,'  and  recited  numerous  passages  of 
Scripture  to  illustrate  the  truth  of  his  position.  He 
scouted  the  ideas  advanced  by  Darwin  as  fallacious  and 
ridiculous,  contrary  to  God  and  Nature's  laws.  The 
capacities  of  the  human  soul,  he  thought,  approached 
a  degree  of  sublimity  far  grander  than  the  groveling 
instinct  of  the  gorilla,  tadpole,  or  monad,  to  which 
these  theorists  attempt  to  trace  the  origin  of  man, 
'created  in  the  image  of  his  Maker.'  The  parable  of 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  317 

Lazarus  and  Dives  is  alone  evidence  sufficient,  he 
thought,  to  convince  all,  save  the  most  hardened  skep- 
tic, of  the  existence  of  a  material  hell,  repeatedly  re- 
ferred to  by  Christ  as  a  place  of  eternal  punishment. 
His  description  of  the  soul's  immortality  was  grandly 
conceived,  the  sublime  passages  faultlessly  delivered, 
and  we  regret  that  limited  space  prevents  a  more  ex- 
tended notice  of  a  discourse  most  interesting  to  all. 

On  Monday  following,  Dr.  T.  returned  to  Georgia. 
He  spent  two  days  in  the  family  of  his  old  and  es- 
teemed friend,  Judge  Neal,  in  Atlanta,  and  then  went 
to  Greensboro,  and  spent  two  days  most  agreeably 
with  his  endeared  friends,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Poullain.  He 
then  went  to  Camilla,  in  South-western  Georgia,' to 
assist  his  friend,  Rev.  Dr.  Underwood,  in  a  series  of 
meetings  at  that  place.  He  arrived  there  on  Saturday 
night  after  dark.  By  some  misunderstanding,  no  one 
met  him  at  the  depot.  Dr.  Underwood  lives  out  of 
the  village  some  two  miles ;  and  he  thought  he  had 
made  arrangements  for  the  accommodation  of  Dr.  T., 
and  for  his  being  met  at  the  depot,  and  properly  cared 
for.  That  night  snow  fell  to  the  depth  of  several 
inches,  and  the  next  day  the  weather  was  intensely 
cold — altogether  more  so  than  the  people  there  were 
accustomed  to  experience.  The  cold  weather  lasted  for 
a  whole  wreek;  and  as  the  meeting-house  had  no  stove 

•  o 

in  it,  the  meeting  was  greatly  interfered  with  by  the 
inclement  season.  But  as  soon  as  the  weather  mod- 
erated, the  house  was  filled  up,  and  the  interest  in  the 
meeting  was  greatly  augmented.  Dr.  T.  remained 


318  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

until  Thursday  night  of  the  second  week,  and  then  left 
for  Tallahassee,  Fla. ,  to  attend  the  Florida  Baptist  State 
Convention,  which  met  that  year  in  that  city.  During 
his  stay  in  Camilla,  it  was  thought,  that  ten  or  twelve 
persons  professed  conversion.  The  pastor  thought 
that  the  church  had  been  greatly  edified  and  benefitted. 
He  spoke  of  the  Bible  Readings  as  a  new  seminary  to 
him.  He  had  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  the  semi- 
naries of  Germany  ;  but  he  felt  that  he  was  being  ed-  * 
ified  and  benefitted  as  much  by  these  Bible  Readings, 
with  their  expositions  and  illustrations  by  Dr.  T.,  as  he 
had  ever  been  in  any  of  the  seminaries  which  he  had 
attended. 

Dr.  T.  spent  a  night  in  Thomasville,  after  leaving 
Camilla.  He  was  met  at  the  depot  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Golden,  pastor  of  the  church  at  that  place,  and  some 
of  his  brethren,  and  escorted  to  the  Mitchell  House, 
the  principal  hotel  in  the  place,  where  he  spent  a  very 
comfortable  night.  Here  he  met  his  friend,  Mrs. 
Peak,  and  her  little  son,  of  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  She 
was  there  in  company  with  her  sick  sister,  Mrs.  Cal- 
houn,  of  Nashville,  Tenn.  Mrs.  Calhoun  was  suffering 
from  that  fell  disease,  consumption,  from  which  she 
has  since  died.  Mrs.  Peak  is  the  wife  of  Capt.  Peak, 
of  Chattanooga,  who  was  converted,  together  with  his 
first  wife,  during  the  meeting  held  by  Dr.  T.  in  that 
place,  in  the  autumn  of  1873. 

On  the  next  morning,  Dr.  T.  took  the  hack  for 
Tallahassee.  It  is  thirty-seven  miles'  only  by  stage 
from  Thomasville  to  Tallahassee.  By  rail  it  is  several 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  319 

times  farther.  He  arrived  in  Tallahassee  before  the 
close  of  the  session  of  the  Convention  that  day  ;  and 
took  up  his  quarters  with  Dea.  F.  B.  Moodie,  during 
his  stay  in  that  city.  The  Convention  was  poorly 
attended;  but  it  was  a  spirited  meeting. 

He  remained  in  Tallahassee  two  weeks,  and  held  a 
series  of  religious  meetings  in  the  Baptist  Church. 
The  church  in  that  place  was  very  weak.  There  were 
not  more  than  two  efficient  male  members,  and  some 
eight  or  ten  female  members.  The  meeting  resulted 
in  bringing  into  the  church  quite  a  number  by  letter. 
The  baptistry  was  not  completed  when  he  left  the 
city,  though  it  was  nearly  finished ;  and  consequently 
baptism  was  delayed  until  they  could  use  the  baptis- 
try in  the  administration  of  the  ordinance.  Rev.  M. 
M.  Wamboldt,  who  was  Chaplain  of  the  House  of 
Representatives  in  the  State  Legislature,  remained 
there  and  continued  the  meeting'  for  awhile  after  Dr. 
T.  left. 

During  his  stay  in  Tallahassee,  Dr.  T.  opened  both 
Houses  of  the  Legislature  several  times  by  prayer ; 
and  made  a  number  of  valuable  acquaintances  in  the 
two  bodies.  His  visit  to  Tallahassee  was  his  first  visit 
to  Florida.  He  had  preached  extensively  in  all  the 
Southern  States,  except  Florida;  and  now  the  wish 
which  he  had  long  cherished  to  visit  this  State  of  fruits 
and  flowers,  was  at  length  gratified.  The  acquaintances 
which  he  formed  in  Tallahassee  were  very  pleasant, 
and  the  attentions  which  they  gave'  him  have  been  re- 
membered with  interest  up  to  the  present  time. 


320  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

From  Tallahasee,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Jacksonville,  Fla. 
The  Baptist  Church  in  that  city  was  without  a  pastor, 
and  it  was  in  quite  a  depressed  condition.  On  his  ar- 
rival in  that  city,  Rev.  Mr.  Bell,  pastor  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  called  on  him,  and  proposed  that 
the  contemplated  meeting  should  be  held  in  the  two 
churches,  the  Baptist  and  Congregationalist,  during  al- 
ternate weeks.  It  was  distinctly  understood  that  Dr. 
T.  should  do  all  the  preaching,  and  have  the  direction 
of  the  meetings,  whether  they  were  held  in  the  Baptist 
Church,  or  in  the  Congregationalist  Church.  The 
meeting  was  harmoniously  conducted,  and  resulted  in 
the  conversion  of  quite  a  number  of  souls.  Some 
eight  or  ten  were  baptized  into  the  fellowship  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  as  the  result  of  the  meeting ;  and 
some  joined  the  Congregationalists.  Dr.  T.  thinks  it 
very  probable,  that  more  good  would  have  resulted  to 
the  Baptist  Church,  'if  the  meeting  had  been  held  in 
that  church  alone.  For,  while  there  was  no  collision, 
there  was  a  lack  of  that  deep  and  earnest  concern  for 
the  success  of  the  work,  which  would  have  been  felt, 
if  one  church  alone  had  had  all  the  responsibility. 

Dr.  T.  enjoyed  excellent 'health  while  in  Jackson- 
ville, and  gained  some  five  or  six  pounds  in  flesh  while 
at  work  there.  He  was  entertained  at  first  for  a  week, 
or  more,  by  his  host,  Mr.  Wm.  G.  Anderson,  of  the 
Elmwood  House'.  Mr.  Anderson  and  his  wife  are 
both  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  their  kind 
attentions  were  unremitting  during  his  stay  at  their 
excellent  hotel.  From  the  Elmwood  House,  Dr.  T., 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  321 

by  special  request  of  the  host  and  hostess,  went  over 
to  the  Windsor  House,  which  is  one  of  the  principal 
hotels  in  Jacksonville.  The  kind  host  and  his  wife 
are  also  members  of  the  Baptist  Church;  and  his  wife, 
especially,  is  an  ardent  Christian,  and  a  well-wisher  to 
the  Baptist  cause.  In  their  thronged  and  popular  hotel, 
he  spent  the  balance  of  bis  time,  while  ho  remained  in 
Jacksonville.  He  acknowledges  with  gratitude  the 
kind  attentions  which  he  received  while  in  that  city, 
not  only  from  the  proprietors  of  the  above  named 
hotels,  but  also  from  Col.  W.  J.  Lawton,  Rev.  Mr. 
McCallam,  Rev.  Mr.  Swift,  and  brothers  Wamboldt, 
Griffin,  and  others  of  the  Baptist  brotherhood.  The 
recollection  of  his  visit  and  brief  sojourn  in  Jackson- 
ville, will  be  cherish'  as  among  the  pleasant  memories 
of  his  life 

Jacksonville  is  the  county  seat  of  Duval  County.  It 
is  the  commercial  metropolis  of  Florida,  and  is  the 
largest  city  on  the  Atlantic  coast  south  of  Savannah. 
It  is  situated  on  the  St.  John's  river, 'about  twenty-live 
miles  from  the  ocean,  and  is  named  in  honor  of  Gen- 
eral Andrew  Jackson.  Bay  Street  is  the  commercial 
thoroughfare.  The  commerce  of  the  city  is  exten- 
sive. Leading  out  of  the  town  are  fine  shell  roads 
which  afford  delightful  drives.  About  five  miles  out 
of  the  city,  down  the  river,  a  village  is  springing  up 
which  is  called  Panama  Park.  The  land  was  formerly 
owned  by  Col.  W.  J.  Lawton,  and  has  been  laid  off  in 
lots  to  suit  purchasers.  Dr.  T.  purchased  a  five  acre 
lot  in  this  growing  village.  One  of  the  most  pleasant 


322  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

drives  about  Jacksonville,  is  that  by  the  way  of  this 
village.  By  taking  one  road  in  going  out,  and  another 
in  coming  in,  you  make  a  circuit  of  about  ten  miles. 
This  is  becoming  a  popular  route  for  the  visitors  from 
the  North,  in  Jheir  drives  around  the  city.  The  village 
of  Panama  Park  lies  along  the  St.  John's  river,  and 
vessels  on  the  ocean  may  be  seen  passing  and  repass- 
ing,  at  slight  elevations  in  the  village. 

By  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Mr.  A.  A.  Upson,  who 
was  connected  at  that  time  with  the  Florida  House,  at 
St.  Augustine,  Dr.  T.  made  a  hasty  trip  from  Jack- 
sonville to  that  ancient  city,  and  preached  a  single 
sermon  during  his  stay  there.  The  white  Baptists  had 
no  house  of  worship  in  that  city,  and  the  Presbyterians 
kindly  tendered  the  use  of  their  house  for  the  services 
of  the  occasion.  The  rneeting-house  was  filled  to  over- 
flowing with  a  very  appreciative  audience,  and  the  at- 
tentions bestowed  on  him  during  his  brief  visit  in  that 
city  were  marked  and  agreeable.  During  his  stay  in 
St.  Augustine,  he  visited  several  places  of  historic  in- 
terest. 

There  are  few  places  in  the  whole  South  possessing 
more  objects  of  interest  to  a  stranger  than  St.  Augus- 
tine. It  is  not  only  the  oldest  city  in  the  South,  but  it 
is  the  oldest  in  the  United  States.  It  is  situated  in  a 
direct  line  about  thirty-five  miles  south  of  Jacksonville, 
three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north  of  the  southern 
coast  of  the  Peninsula,  and  fifteen  miles  east  of  the  St. 
John's  River.  It  may  be  interesting  to  our  readers  to 
mention,  in  this  connection,  some  of  the  points  of  at- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  323 

traction  and  interest  in  this  antique  city.  On  the  ar- 
rival of  the  visitor  from  Tocoi,  a  steamboat  landing 
on  the  St.  John's  River,  from  which  passengers  are 
conveyed  over  the  St.  John's  Railway,  a  distance  of 
fifteen  miles,  the  first  object  to  attract  attention  is  the 
long  and  narrow  causeway  which  leads  to  the  centre  of 
the  city.  Leaving  the  causeway,  the  visitor  enters 
beneath  the  archway  to  the  oak,  and  Pride  of  Indian 
trees,  with  the  Spanish  moss  hanging  in  skeins  from 
the  branches.  On  our  right  \ve  pass  the  handsome 
grounds  and  residence  of  A.  Gilbert,  Esq. ;  on  the  left 
is  the  elegant  residence  and  large  orange  grove  of  Dr. 
A.Anderson;  in  the  rear  of  which  are  the  splendid 
grounds  and  mansion  of  the  late  Henry  Ball,  Esq 
Emerging  from  the  archway,  the  tourist  arrives  in 

c?       c?  »/  * 

front  of  the  "Plaza  de  la  Constitution,"  and  is  then  in 
the  centre  of  the  city.  The  following  objects  of  in- 
terest are  described  in  Whitney's  Florida  Pathfinder, 
viz: 

"THE  CATHOLIC  CATHEDRAL. 

This  is  the  largest  and  oldest  house  of  worship  in  the 
city  ;  it  was  built  in  1793  at  a  cost  of  over  $16,000. 
Its  quaint  Moorish  belfry,  with  four  bells,  which  are 
set  within  separate  niches,  together  with  the  clock, 
forms  a  complete  cross.  The  peculiar  chimes  which 
these  old  relics  of  bells  give  forth,  the  odd  surround- 
ings of  the  belfry,  including  the  interior  of  the  church, 
render  it  one  of  the  objects  of  interest  in  the  Ancient 
City.  Upon  one  of  the  bells  appears  the  following : 


324  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 


SANCTE  JOSEPH 

ORA  PRO  KOBIS 

A.  D.   1682. 

This  bell  was  probably  taken  from  the  ruins  of  a 
previous  church  located  on  the  west  side  of  St.  George 
Street.  There  exist  outside  of  the  city  gate  the  ruins 
of  an  old  chapel  in  which  several  priests  were  killed  by 
the  Indians  ;  after  which  it  was  sacked  and  burned.  It 
was  called  "Nuestra  Senora  De  La  Leche,"  or  "Our 
Lady  of  the  Milk."  Its  erection  was  the  result  of  a 
superstition  of  the  Spaniards,  borrowed  from  the 
ancient  Romans.  "Our  Lady  of  the  Milk"  is  simply 
the  "Juno  Pronuba"  of  the  Romans,  whom  the 
matrons  invoked  and  implored,  in  her  proper  temple, 
to  furnish  them  with  a  sufficient  supply  of  nursing  milk 
for  their  infants. 

THE    STREETS. 

There  are  four  principal  streets  which  extend  nearly 
the  length  of  the  town.  The  first  one  passed  on  enter- 
ing is  Tolamato,  upon  which  is  located  the  Catholic 
Cemetery.  The  second,  St.  George  Street,  is  termed 
the  Fifth  Avenue  of  the  city.  The  third,  Charlotte, 
is  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  and  is  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
feet  wide.  All  of  these  streets  are  quite  narrow.  The 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  325 

cross  streets  are  still  narrower.  The  fourth  is  Bay 
Street,  and  commands  a  fine  view  of  St.  Augustine 
Bay,  Anastasia  Island  and  the  Ocean. 

The  streets  were  formerly  floored  with  shell  con- 
crete, portions  of  which  can  still  be  observed  above 
the  shifting  sand  ;  in  early  times  heavy  vehicles  were 
not  allowed  to  travel  upon  the  same.  There  are  many 
modern  style  residences,  with  elegant  grounds,  in  and 
about  the  city,  which  are  well  worth  a  visit. 

King's  road,  which  leads  from  the  city  gate  to  Jack- 
sonville, was  constructed  in  1765  by  subscription. 

All  the  old  Spanish  residences  are  constructed  of 
coquina  stone,  a  conglomeration  of  small  shells,  quar- 
ried on  Anastasia  Island.  It  is  covered  with  stucco 
and  whitewashed.  Many  of  the  houses  have  balconies 
along  their  second  stories  which  overhang  the  narrow 
street.  The  old-time  Spanish  houses  were  flat-roofed. 

CITY    GATE. 

It  stands  at  the  north  end  of  the  city,  at  the  head  of 
St.  George  street.  It  is  the  only  relic  of  a  town  wall 
supposed  to  have  surrounded  the  city.  It  is  a  pict- 
uresque and  imposing  structure.  The  ornamented 
lofty  towers,  the  loopholes  and  sentry-boxes  are  well 
preserved,  and  one  can  readily  expend  a  few  moments 
examining  this  antique  object  of  attraction. 

TOWN   WALL. 

Whether  this  wall  was  composed  of  the  same  mate- 
rial as  the  old  fort  or  was  merely  a  rougli  stockade  of 
pine  logs,  is  a  matter  of  conjecture.  If  a  stone  wall 
ever  existed  it  probably  now  forms  a  part  of  some  of 


326  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

the  old  structures  in  the  city.  However,  this  wall  or 
stockade  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  some  two  hun- 
dred years  ago.  The  north  end  portion  of  the  wall 
was  situated  on  the  south  bank  of  the  ditch,  and  ex- 
tended west  to  the  St.  Sebastian  river,  where  it  ended 
in  a  bastion,  of  which  at  the  present  time,  with  the 
exception  of  the  sand  elevation,  no  trace  remains. 

The  ditch,  at  the  present  day,  is  quite  visible,  and 
at  one  time  it  connected  the  moat-water  around  the 
fort  with  the  St.  Sebastian  river,  but  during  the  late 
war  all  evidence  of  this  connection  was  destroyed  by 
the  construction  of  the  northwest  fort  embankment. 

THE    SEA   WALL. 

This  wall  is  nearly  one  mile  in  length ;  connecting 
with  the  water  battery  of  the  fort,  it  extends  south 
below  the  U.  S.  Government  Barracks.  The  original 
wall  was  built  by  the  Spaniards  in  1690,  and  extended 
that  year  to  the  Plaza,  and  subsequently  extended  the 
length  of  the  town.  The  present  sea  wall  and  fort 
water  battery  were  constructed  in  1837  to  1843,  at  an 
expense  to  the  U.S.  Government  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars.  Both  are  built  of  coquina  stone  taken 
from  the  island  opposite  the  city.  On  the  sea  wall  is 
a  coping  of  granite  four  feet  wide,  which  affords  a 
delightful  promenade — especially  on  moonlight  even- 
ings, and  the  stillness  of  the  night  being  broken  by  the 
roar  of  the  ocean  surf,  adds  greatly  to  the  romance. 
GOVERNOR'S  PALACE. 

The  residence  of  the  old-time  Spanish  Governor  is 
located  on  the  corner  of  St.  George  and  King  Streets. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  327 

Under  the  skill  of  modern  workmanship  it  has  lost  its 
quaint  appearance.  It  serves  as  Post  Office,  County 
Clerk's  office,  Public  Library,  and  Peabody  School. 

CEMETERIES. 

The  Military  Burying  Ground  is  located  just  south 
of  the  Barracks.  Under  three  Pyramids  are  the  ashes 
of  Major  Dade  and  107  of  his  men,  who  were  massa- 
cred near  Fort  Dade  by  Osceola  and  his  band.  The 
Catholic  Cemetery  is  located  on  the  north  end  of  Tol- 
amato  Street.  The  Huguenot  Cemetery  is  located  out- 
side of  the  city  gate,  and  just  north  of  the  Catholic 
Cemetery. 

THE  BARRACKS. 

This  building  was  once  used  and  designated  as  the 
St.  Francis  Convent.  It  has  undergone  extensive  mod- 
ifications and  repairs  ;  the  building  is  located  at  the 
south  end  of  the  town,  near  the  terminus  of  the  sea 
wall,  and  used  at  present  by  the  United  States  troops. 

THE  PLA2SA. 

The  "Plaza  de  la  Constitution"  is  situated  in  the 
centre  of  the  town.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  fence,  with 
seats  arranged  for  the  convenience  of  visitors.  During 
the  early  part  of  the  Revolution,  the  effigies  of  John 
Hancock  and  Samuel  Adams  were  burned  here  by  the 
British  troops.  Nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  square 
stands  the  monument,  nearly  twenty  feet  high,  erected 
in  1812,  in  commemoration  of  the  Spanish  Liberal 
Constitution.  Soon  after  it  was  erected  the  govern- 
ment gave  orders  to  tear  it  down.  But  the  citizens 
quietly  removed  and  concealed  the  inscribed  marble 


328  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

tablets.  The  monument  remained  undisturbed.  In 
1818,  the  tablets  were  quietly  replaced.  Of  the  mon- 
uments erected  in  commemoration  of  the  Constitution, 
this  is  the  only  one  now  standing.  Upon  the  east  side 
of  this  monument  appears,  in  Spanish,  the  following, 
of  which  we  give  a  translation  : 

Plaza     de    la 
Constitution. 

Promulga  en  esta  Ciudad 

de  San  Augustin  de  la  Florida 

Oriental  en  17  de   Octubre  de 

1812  siendo  Gobernador  el 

Brigadier  Don  Sebastian 

Kindalem   Cuba   Hero 
del    order    de     Santiago. 

Peira  eterna  memoria 
El  Ayuntamiento   Consti- 
tutional   Erigioeste     Obelisco 
dirigido  por  Don  Fer- 
nando   de    la    Plaza 
Arredondo  el  Joven 
Regidor  De  cano  y 
Don  Franciscor  Robira 
Procurador    Sindico. 
Ano   de   1813. 

TRANSLATION. 

Plaza  of  the  Constitution,  promulgated  in  the  city 
of  St.  Augustine,  East  Florida,  on  the  I7th  day  of 
October,  the  year  1812.  Being  then  Governor  the 
Brigadier  Don  Sebastian  Kindalem,  Knight  of  the 
order  of  San  Diego. 

TOR  ETERNAL   REMEMBRANCE, 

the  Constitutional  City  Council  erected  this  monumen^. 


OF  A  LOXG  LIFE.  329 

under  the  supervision  of  Don  Fernando  de  la  Maza 
Arredondo,  the  young  municipal  officer,  oldest  member 
of  the  corporation,  and  Don  Franciscor  Robira,  Attor- 
ney and  Recorder. 

FORT    MARION. 

It  stands  at  the  north  end  of  the  town,  and  com- 
mands the  inlet  from  the  sea.  It  is  built  of  coqiiina 
stone,  which  was  taken  from  Anastasia  Island.  It  is 
probably  the  best  preserved  specimen  in  the  world  of 
the  military  architecture  of  its  time.  It  is  the  oldest 
fortification  in  the  United  States.  It  was  commenced 
in  1620,  and  through  the  labor  of  the  conscript  Indians, 
was  completed  in  1756.  It  occupies  an  acre  of  ground 
and  has  accommodations  for  one  thousand  men  and  one 
hundred  guns.  The  Indians  were  compelled  to  do  the 
labor  of  building  for  over  sixty  years.  Over  the  en- 
trance to  the  fort  is  the  Spanish  coat- of -arms,  sur- 
mounted by  a  globe  and  cross,  while  suspended  be- 
neath is  the  figure  of  a  lamb.  Around  the  fort  square 
are  entrances  into  its  dark  and  dismal  rooms.  The 
dungeons  wherein  the  skeletons  were  discovered  are 

o 

located  at  the  North-east  extremity  of  the  fort.  On 
the  north  side  of  the  fort,  leading  from  the  interior 
square,  is  the  Catholic  Chapel ;  the  altar  and  holy 
water  niches  are  well  preserved.  The  fort  walls  and 
three  of  the  watch  towers  remain  intact,  but  the  guns 
are  dismounted  and  the  moat  is  dry.  The  fort  is 
twenty-one  feet  high,  terminating  in  four  bastioned 
angles  at  the  corners,  each  of  which  is  surmounted 

O 

with  sentry  boxes  and  lookout  towers. 


330  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Fort  Marion  is  a  castle  built  after  the  plan  of  those 
of  the  middle  ages  of  Europe.  There  is  the  moat, 
which  was  flooded  by  the  St.  Sebastian.  There  are 
the  inner  and  outer  barriers,  portcullis,  wicket,  and  all 
the  appliances  of  such  fortifications. 

The  inscription  over  the  fort  entrance  is  as  follows  : 
REYNANDO  EN  ESPANA  EL  SENN  DON  FER- 
NANDO SEXTO  Y  SIENDO  GOVK  Y  CAP*  DE 
ESA  CD  SAN  AUG*  DE  LA  FLORIDA  Y  SUS 
PROVA  EL  MAR1SCAL  DE  CAMPO  Dx  ALONSO 
FERN00  HERADA  ASI  CONCLUIO  ESTE  CAS- 
TILLO EL  AN  OD  1756  DRIENDO*LASOBRAS 
EL  CAP.  INGNRO  DN  PEDRO  DE  BROZAS  Y 
GARAY.  • 

TRANSLATION  : 

Don  Ferdinand  the  VI,  being  King  of  Spain,  and 
the  Field  Marshal  Don  Alonzo  Fernando  Uereda  being 
Governor  and  Captain  General  of  this  place,  St. 
Augustine  of  Florida,  and  its  province ,  this  Fort  was 
finished  in  the  year  1 756.  The  works  were  directed  by 
the  Captain  Engineer,  Don  Pedro  de  Brozas  Y 
Garay. 

In  1846  the  terre-plein  of  the  north-west  bastion  fell 
in,  revealing  a  dark  and  dismal  dungeon.  We  have 
heard  from  the  lips  of  a  reliable  person,  still  a  resident 
of  St.  Augustine,  and  who  was  present  at  the  time  of 
the  above  accident  to  the  fort,  of  the  following  facts  : 
"I  stood  upon  the  edge  and  looked  down  into  this 
dungeon  and  there  saw  the  complete  skeleton  of  a 
human  being,  lying  at  full  length,  apperanlly  on  its 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  331 

back ;  the  arms  were  extended  from  the  body  and  the 
skeleton  fingers  were  wide  open  ;  there  appeared  to  he 
a  gold  ring  upon  one  of  the  fingers.  Encircling  the 
wrists  were  iron  bands,  attached  to  which  were  chains 
fastened  to  a  hasp  in  the  coquina  wall,  near  the  en- 
trance to  the  dungeon." 

The  military  engineer  having  charge  of  the  repairs 
noticed  in  the  north-east  corner  a  broad  stone,  differ- 
ing greatly  in  dimensions  and  appearance  from  those 
of  which  the  wall  was  built. 

He  noticed,  moreover,  that  the  cement  which  held 
this  stone  in  its  place  differed  in  composition,  and  ap- 
peared to  be  more  recent.  On  the  removal  of  this 
stone,  the  present  dark,  dismal,  fearful  dungeon  was 
disclosed.  On  entering  with  lights  there  were  found 
at  the  west  end,  two  iron  cages  suspended  from  hasps 
in  the  wall.  One  of  the  cages  had  partially  fallen 
down  from  rust  and  decay,  and  human  bones  lay  scat 
tered  on  the  floor.  The  other  remained  in  its  position, 
holding  a  pile  of  human  bones.  The  latter  cage  and 
contents  may  be  seen  in  the  Smithsonian  Institute  at 
Washington. 

This  stone  was  removed  by  the  assistance  of  Mr. 
John  Capo  (now  deceased),  an  honest  old  harbor  pilot 
and  mason ;  we  have  his  statement,  made  personally 
to  us,  confirming  the  finding  of  the  two  cages  contain- 
ing the  skeletons,  as  presented  in  this  sketch. 

From  a  lecture  delivered  at  the  fort  by  J.  Hume 
Simmons,  M.  D.,  and  afterwards  published  in  the 
Florida  Press,  we  quote: 


332  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

"The  broken  cage  with  all  the  bones,  except  those 
which  I  hold  in  my  hand,  were  buried  in  the  sand 
mound  to  the  north  of  the  fort.  I  recognize  these  as 
portions  of  the  tibia  and  fibula  (or  leg  bones)  of  a 
female." 

During  the  Seminole  war  Osceola  and  Coacoochee 
(or  Wild  Cat)  were  captured  and  confined  in  the  south- 
west angle  of  the  fort.  Coacoochee  complained  that 
the  cell  was  too  damp  and  affected  his  health,  where- 
upon he  was  removed  to  an  adjoining  one,  where  an 
elevated  seat  afforded  him  the  facility  of  reaching  the 
window  above  by  means  of  one  Indian  standing  on  the 
shoulders  of  another.  On  the  evening  previous  to  the 
night  of  his  escape  he  remained  an  unusually  long  time 
on  the  ramparts  of  the  fort,  where  he  was  allowed  to 
walk  daily  for  exercise.  He  had  evidently  been  taking 
observations  of  the  manner  in  which  the  sentinels  who 
guarded  outside  the  fort  were  stationed,  to  enable  him 
to  determine  the  safest  route  to  pursue  after  he  should 
escape  from  the  window.  This  he  effected,  during 
the  night,  so  noiselessly,  that  when  the  sentinel,  who 
had  paced  the  whole  night  before  the  door  of  his  cell, 
was  about  to  open  the  same  at  dawn,  Osceola  appear- 
ed at  the  grating  of  his  cell,  and  with  a  smirk  of  de- 
light, exclaimed:  "Wild  Cat  gone."  Osceola  was 
afterwards  removed  to  Castle  Pinckney,  Charleston, 
where  he  died  broken-hearted. 

There  are  several  other  objects  of  interest  in  San 
Augustine  which  might  be  mentioned ;  but  the  forego- 
ing must  suffice.  Dr.  T.  visited  many  of  the  points 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  333 

of  interest  above  mentioned,  and  especially  the  fort 
and  its  dismal  dungeons.  Why  these  dungeons  were 
made,  and  who  they  were  that  suffered  the  awful  death 
to  which  they  were  subjected  in  these  fearful  dungeons, 
must  remain  forever  an  unfathomable  mystery.  He 
also  walked  on  the  sea  wall  for  a  considerable  distance ; 
visited,  and  passed  through  by  the  courtesy  of  Mrs. 
Dr.  Anderson,  the  Doctor's  orange  grove  of  some 
twelve  hundred  trees,  which  are  all  in  excellent  bear- 
ing condition,  and  was  invited  to  help  himself  to  as 
much  of  the  fruit  as  he  might  desire.  He  saw,  in 
passing  through  the  grove,  a  twig  on  one  of  the 
trees,  containing  five  oranges  of  good  size,  and  he 
clipped  the  twig  from  the  tree  and  carried  it  with 
him  to  his  quarters.  He  found,  on  examination,  that 
one  orange  had  been  plucked  from  the  twig  before 
he  came  into  possession  of  it.  The  five  oranges 
which  he  took,  proved  to  be  fruit  of  very  fine,  de- 
licious character.  He  was  informed  that  Dr.  Ander- 
son had  been  offered  for  the  fruit  on  the  trees  that 
winter,  $25,000.  But  his  engagements  with  the  fruit 
dealers  in  the  Northern  cities,  would  not  allow  him 
to  sell  in  that  way,  even  if  he  thought  it  a  fair 
price  for  his  crop. 

Dr.  T.  met  several  old  acquaintances  from  the 
North  at  San  Augustine;  among  whom  were  Rev.  P. 
Church,  D.  D.,  of  New  York;  Mr.  Upson,  of  New 
Haven,  Ct.  ;  Mr.  Dibelbiss  and  lady,  of  Springfield, 
Ills. ;  and  some  others  whom  he  had  not  seen  for 
many  years. 


334  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

Having  completed  his  brief  stay  in  San  Augustine, 
Dr.  T.  took  the  train  for  Tocoi  to  meet  the  steamboat 
on  its  way  from  Jacksonville  to  Palatka.  He  went  up 
on  the  steamer  to  that  town,  and  enjoyed  the  privilege 
of  seeing  quite  a  number  of  fine  orange  groves  along 
the  banks  of  the  St.  John's  River.  He  had  not  time  to 
tarry  at  Palatka;  but  made  what  observations  he  could 
in  the  short  time  the  boat  remained,  and  then  he  re- 
turned to  Jacksonville  the  same  day  on  the  steamer. 

Along  the  St.  John's  River  there  are  many  points  of 
interest  between  Jacksonville  and  Palatka.  A  few  of 
them  may  be  mentioned  in  this  connection. 

MULBERRY  GROVE,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river, 
twelve  miles  from  Jacksonville,  is  the  first  landing. 
There  is  a  very  beautiful  grove  here — a  very  pleasant 
resort  for  picnic  parties. 

MANDARIN,  Duval  County,  Fla.,  fifteen  miles  from 
acksonville,  on  the  east  bank  ;  post  office.  Popula- 
tion 250.  A  convent  has  been  recently  established 
here  by  the  bishop  of  Florida,  and  is  now  inhabited  by 
}/  ,  . the  Sisters  of  Mercy.  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe 
>\tj  resides  here ;  she  has  a  pleasant  cottage  surrounded  by 
fv  40  acres  of  land,  several  of  which  are  planted  with 

orange  trees. 

This  was  once  the  scene  of  a  dreadful  massacre  by 
the  Seminole  Indians.  Just  beyond  this  place  can  be 
seen  the  wreck  of  the  Federal  transport  "Maple  Leaf," 
destroyed  by  a  torpedo  during  the  war. 

ORANGE  PARK,  Clay  County,  Fla.,  on  west  bank  of 
river  ;  fifteen  miles  from  Jacksonville. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFK.  335 

HIBERNIA,  Clay  County,  Fla.,  twenty-three  miles 
from  Jacksonville,  on  the  west  bank  ;  post  office.  A 
pleasant  and  convenient  resort  for  invalids.  Boarding 
house  ;  Mrs.  Fleming,  proprietress. 

MAGNOLIA,  Clay  county,  Fla.,  twenty-eight  miles 
from  Jacksonville,  on  west  bank  ;  post  office.  This  is 
one  of  the  most  pleasant  places  on  the  river ;  having  fine 
hotel  accommodations,  it  is  much  frequented  by 
Northerners.  Near  this  place,  to  the  northward,  is 
Black  Creek,  which  is  navigable  for  small  steamers  as 
far  as  Middleburg. 

GREEN  COVE  SPRINGS,  Clay  County,  Fla. ;  thirty 
miles  from  Jacksonville,  on  west  bank;  post-office. 
The  principal  attraction  here  is  the  fine  spring,  from 
which  the  place  derives  its  name.  The  waters  of 
this  spring  are  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur, 
and  have  a  temperature  of  about  seventy-five  de- 
grees, well  adapted  for  rheumatism  and  dyspepsia. 
The  bathing  facilities  are  well  arranged. 

O  .  " 

This  place  boasts  of  two  fine  hotels  and  a  number 
of  boarding  houses. 

HOGARTH'S  WHARF,  St.  John's  County,  Fla.  ;  thirty- 
five  miles  from  Jacksonville,  on  east  bank  ;  post-office; 
Wood  Landing. 

PICOLATA,  St.  John's  County,  Fla.  ;  forty  miles 
from  Jacksonville,  on  east  bank  ;  post-office.  This  is 
the  site  of  an  ancient  Spanish  city,  with  a  fine  church 
and  monasteries,  erected  two  centuries  ago  by  Fran- 
ciscan friars  ;  all  that  remains  at  this  historical  point 
now  is  a  cabin  and  field  grown  up  with  weeds.  This 


33G  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

was  formerly  the  landing  for  St.  Augustine,  having 
been  used  as  such  until  the  completion  of  the  St.  John's 
Railroad.  Opposite  Picolata  are  the  remains  of  Fort 
Poppa,  erected  during  the  Spanish  era. 

Tocoi,  St.  John's  County,  Fla.;  forty-nine  miles 
from  Jacksonville,  on  the  east  bank  ;  post-office.  Here 
connection  is  made  by  the  St.  John's  Railroad  with  St. 
Augustine,  distant  fourteen  miles.  This  road  has  been 
lebuilt  with  iron  rails,  and  the  run  is  made  in  thirty- 
five  minutes,  twice  por  day,  each  way. 

FEDERAL  POINT,  Putnam  County,  Fla. ;  fifty-eight 
miles  from  Jacksonville,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river  ; 
post-office ;  Wood  Landing. 

ORANGE  MILLS,  Putnam  County,  Fla. ;  sixty-three 
miles  from  Jacksonville,  on  the  east  bank;  post-office. 
A  beautiful  orange  grove  here. 

DANCEY'S  LANDING,  one  mile  further  south,  has  one 
of  the  oldest  orange  groves  on  the  river,  the  fruit  from 
which  is  always  sought  after. 

PALATKA,  Putnam  County,  Fla. ;  seventy-five  miles 
from  Jacksonville,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river  ;  post 
and  telegraph  offices.  Situated  at  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion for  ocean  steamers ;  this  is  the  most  prominent 
place  south  of  Jacksonville.  Population  1,500.  The 
adjacent  country  is  characterized  by  a  richness  of  vege- 
tation and  mildness  of  climate.  The  streets  of  Palatka 
are  shaded  with  the  wild  orange,  some  of  which  are 
in  full  fruit  and  flower  at  the  same  time,  giving  a  beau- 
tiful appearance  to  the  town. 

From  Jacksonville,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Gainesville,  Fla., 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  337 

to  assist  Rev.  Mr.  Waugh  in  a  series  of  meetings  in 
his  church  in' that  village.  He  was  quartered  at  the 
principal  hotel  in  the  village,  and  spent  some  two 
weeks  very  pleasantly  at  this  place.  Gainesville  is 
becoming  quite  a  resort  for  Northern  invalids ;  and 
from  its  elevated  location,  and  the  aroma  of  its  sur- 
rounding pines,  it  is  well  adapted  to  cure  pulmonary 
affections,  if  persons  thus  afflicted  resort  thither  in 
proper  time.  The  trouble  too  often  is  that  patients 
wait  until  their  cases  become  hopeless,  before  they 
seek  the  benefit  of  the  health-giving  influence  of  the 
Florida  climate. 

There  are  several  objects  of  general  interest  in  the 
vicinity  of  Gainesville  which  must  remain  unnoticed  in 
this  narrative.  The  series  of  meetings  held  by  Dr. 
T.  in  this  place  were  very  much  blessed,  and  a  consider- 
atye  number  were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism  and 
by  letter  as  the  result  of  his  efforts  under  God  in  this 
village.  The  young  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Waugh,  though 
in  very  delicate  health,  is  doing  a  good  work  for  the 
Baptist  Church  in  that  place.  It  is  believed  that  but 
for  his  removal  to  Florida  when  he  did,  he  would 
have  fallen  a  victim  to  consumption  before  that  time. 
He  had  repeated  hemorrhages  of  the  lungs  before  he 
went  there ;  and  though  then  still  feeble,  he  was 
thought  to  be  steadily  improving. 


338  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Having  completed  his  work  in  Florida,  Dr.  T.  re- 
turned to  Thomasville,  Ga.,  and  held  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  that  pleasant  village.  He  made  his  home  in 
Thomasville  at  the  residence  of  Bro.  Smith,  the  senior 
deacon  of  the  church,  and  Brother  Finn  and  his  esti- 
mable lady,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Deacon  Smith, 
who  were  living  with  the  old  gentlemen,  and  keeping 
the  house.  For  their  very  kind  attentions,  Dr.  T.  has 
ever  since  cherished  the  most  grateful  recollections. 
The  youthful  pastor  of  the  church,  Rev.  E.  Z.  F. 
Golden,  participated  heartily  in  the  good  work  during 
the  meeting ;  and  he  had  the  privilege  of  baptizing  in- 
to the  fellowship  of  the  church,  as  the  result  of  the 
meeting,  twenty-three  joyful  converts.  The  church 
was  also  greatly  revived  and  blessed. 

After  concluding  the  meeting  at  Thomasville,  Dr.  T. 
went  home  and  spent  nearly  a  week  with  his  family  in 
Knoxville.  He  hac^ been  absent  from  the  loved  ones 
at  home,  over  four  months;  and thislbrief  visit  to  them 
was  a  source  of  great  gratification  to  him  and  to  them. 

After  this  brief  visit  at  home,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Atlan- 
ta, Ga.,  to  attend  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention  which  convened  in  that  city  on 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  339 

Thursday,  preceding  the  second  Sunday  in  May,  187JL. 
The  meeting  of  the  convention  was  largely  attended; 
and  a  deep  interest  was.  evinced  in  the  various  objects 
which  the  convention  seeks  to  promote.  In  addition 
to  the  N  ork  of  the  two  boards  of  the  body — the  For- 
eign Mission  Board,  and  the  Home  Mission  Board,  the 
Southern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  located  in 
Louisville,  Ky.,  occupied  the  attention  of  the  conven- 
tion for  a  considerable  time  one  day,  and  very  hand- 
some pledges  were  made  for  its  support  on  the  occa- 
sion. The  two  ablest  sermons  which  he"  heard  during 
the  convention  were  by  Dr.  J.  A.  Broadus,  in  the 
First  Baptist  Church  on  Sunday  morning,  and  by  Dr.' 
J.  B.  Hawthorne,  in  the  Second  Baptist  Church  that 
night.  He  heard,  also,  on  Wednesday  night,  the  8th 
of  May,  Dr.  Hawthorne's  lecture  on  "Know thyself," 
in  the  Second  Baptist  Church.  It  was  an  excellent 
address,  and  very  handsomely  delivered. 

During  the  month  of  May,  1879,  Dr.  T.  held  a  ser- 
ies of  meetings  at  Eatonton,  Ga.  Dr.  I.  R.  Branham, 
was  then  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  that  village. 
Several  persons  professed  hope  in  Christ,  his  visit 
there  was  very  pleasant.  The  latter  part  of  his  stay  in 
Eatonton  was  spent  in  the  family  of  Hon.  Thos.  G. 
Lawson,  acting  Judge  of  the  District  Court  of  that 
District.  Dr.  Branham  gave  him  all  the  attention  he 
required,  and  co-operated  heartily  in  the  series  of 
meetings  which  he  held  there.  In  tlie  family  of  Judge 
Lawson,  as  indeed  in  all  the  families  which  he  visited 
in  Eatonton,  he  was  admirably  entertained,  and 


340  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

I 

cherishes  a  kind  recollection  of  all  the  friends  of  that 
pleasant  village. 

From  Eatonton,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Hawkinsville,  Ga. 
Dr.Geo.  R.  McCall  was  then  pastor  of  the  BaptistChurch 
at  that  place,  and  Dr.  T.  found  a  pleasant  home  in  his 
family  during  his  stay  in  that  village.  His  visits 
amongst  the  members  of  the  church  were  very  pleasant ; 
and  the  meeting  resulted  very  happily.  The  congrega- 
tions were  large  and  attentive,  and  about  twenty  per- 
sons professed  conversion.  Most  of  the  converts  uni- 
ted with  the  Baptist  Church. 

The  next  meeting  which  he  held  was  in  Carnden,  S. 
C.  The  following  account  of  it  was  sent  to  the  Baptist 
Courier  by  the  pastor  during  the  progress  of  the  meet- 
ing: 

"REV.  DR.  T.  C.  TEASDALE. 

Dear  Courier:  The  eminent  brother  whose  name 
heads  this  article,  at  my  earnest  solicitation,  came  to 
assist  me  in  a  series  of  meetings,  and  commenced  his 
labors  among  us  last  Sabbath.  He  has,  therefore,  been 
with  us  six  days  in  the  meetings.  Nine  interesting 
young  men  have  been  baptized,  and  four  ladies  have 
been  received  for  membership,  who,  with  others,  are 
expecting  to  be  baptized  next  Sabbath  night.  Several 
of  these  professed  conversion  under  the  faithful  preach- 
ing of  Bro.  Lainar,  who  was  with  me  several  days  a  few 
weeks  ago.  More  than  twenty  are  inquiring  what  they 
must  do  to  be  saved,  and  the  whole  community  is  being 
aroused  to  a  sense  of  their  need  of  divine  salvation.  Cam- 
den  has  hitherto  been  regarded  as  a  hard  place.  The  pros- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  341 

pect  now  is  that  we  will  have  a  glorious  ingathering  of 
precious  souls.  Dr.  T.  is  no  sensationalist  in  his 
preaching.  He  utterly  ignores  all  mere  animal  excite- 
ment ;  and  by  the  force  of  pure  Bible  truth,  endeavors 
to  stir  up  Christians  to  a  livelier  sense  of  their  relig- 
ious obligations,  and  to  lead  poor  sinners  to  Christ  that 
they  may  be  saved.  I  can  say  that  I  never  heard  abler 
sermons  in  a  revival  meeting,  and  sermons  better 
adapted  to  the  end  for  which  they  were  designed,  than 
those  which  Dr.  Teasdale  is  now  delivering  to  my  peo- 
ple. His  Bible  readings  are  simply  inimitable,  and 
everybody  is  carried  away  with  them.  I  clip  from  the 
Camden  Journal  the  following  just  remarks  by  the 
editor  of  that  paper  in  his  issue  of  yesterday : 

'This  eminent  divine,  as  previously  announced, 
commenced  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Baptist  Church 
last  Sunday,  and  on  that  day,  as  well  as  every  night 
since,  large  congregations  have  attended  his  preaching. 
Though  advanced  in  years,  he  apparently  possesses  a 
strong  and  vigorous  constitution,  and  he  certainly  ex- 
hibits wonderful  efficiency  in  the  great  cause  he  re- 
presents. His  preaching  is  not  of  the  sensational  kind, 
but  in  some  respects  peculiar.  He  has  a  great  faculty 
of  simplifying  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  and  making  it 
appear  in  its  most  winning  form.  He  leaves  the  sin- 
ner no  excuse  for  neglecting  salvation.  In  points  of 
doctrine  he  is  a  bold  expounder  of  the  views  adopted 
by  the  church  with  which  he  is  identified,  and  does  not 
hesitate  to  condemn  evil  in  whatever  shape  it  may  ap- 
pear. No  one  can  fail  to  listen  to  him  while  he 


342  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

preaches,  and  his  eloquent  words  and  positive  way  of 
expounding  the  truth,  are  bound  to  leave  an  impression. 
No  doubt  much  good  will  result  from  his  work  here.' 

Dr.  Teasdale  is  now  seventy  years  of  age.  But  his 
graceful  action  and  his  clear,  sonorous  voice,  and  his 
eloquent  delivery,  would  lead  one  to  think  that  he 
could  not  be  over  fifty.  It  is  really  wonderful  what 
power  of  endurance  he  evinces.  He  never  wearies. 
And  although  he  speaks  on  an  average  two  hours  a  day, 
from  week  to  week,  and  from  month  to  month,  yet 
he  seems  fresh  and  vigorous.  May  the  Lord  spare  his 
useful  life  for  many  years  to  come,  and  make  his  last 
days,  as  he  now  seems  to  be  doing,  his  very  best  days. 
More  anon.  Yours  fraternally  and  truly, 

W.  A.  THERRELL. 

Camdeu,  S.  C.,  June  20th,  1879. 

Dr.  T.  remained  in  Camclen  two  weeks.  Twenty- 
eight  had  been  baptized  before  he  left ;  and  three 
others  were  received  for  the  ordinance.  Five  or  six 
were  received  by  letter  and  by  restoration  ;  and  the 
meeting  resulted  in  an  accession  to  the  church  of  some 
forty  members.  It  was  a  rich  ingathering  into  that 
church.  The  young  men,  who  joined  the  church  in 
that  meeting,  were  willing  to  work  for  the  blessed 
Master ;  and  they  would  pray  or  speak  in  public 
as  occasion  might  require,  almost  without  excep- 
tion. 

The  following  notice  of  the  meeting  held  in  Oxford, 
Ala.,  in  September,  1879,  appeared  in  the  Alabama 
Baptist,  September  25th.,  1879.  The  letter  was  written 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  343 

by  one  of  Alabama's  best  and  most  excellent  ministers. 
Here  it  follows : 

"OXFORD     BAPTIST    CHURCH REVIVAL     MEETING REV. 

T.  C.  TEASDALE,  D.  D. 

Recently,  Rev.  T.  C.  Teusdale,  D.  D.,  of  Knoxville, 
Tenn.,  by  invitation  of  the  pastor,  visited  our  town 
and  he!4  a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Oxford  Baptist 
Church.  It  had  been  my  good  fortune  to  hear  this 
distinguished  divine,  in  a  similar  series,  while  a  student 
in  Marion.  All  my  then  prepossessions  were  increased 
and  confirmed  on  this  occasion.  For  a  half  century, 
the  American  people  have  looked  upon  pen-photo- 
graphs of  Rev.  T.  C.  Teasdale,  D.  D.  These  have 
been  drawn  by  master  minds  and  artists.  It  is  not 
supposed  now  that  another  could  be  added  of  higher 
beauty,  or  greater  correctness.  Still,  none  are  denied 
their  contribution  of  love  and  appreciation. 

Dr.  Teasdale  is  a  most  cultivated,  refined  and  ac- 
complished gentleman.  He  is  a  Christian  of  spotless 
character,  of  strong,  unwavering  faith,  of  deep,  fer- 
vent piety.  A  fine  scholar,  well  versed  in  history, 
belles-lettres,  languages,  and  in  elocution  and  oratory, 
he  is  master  of  the  situation.  In  theology,  in  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  truths  of  the  Bible,  and  in  a 
critical  and  correct  interpretation  of  its  truths,  he  has 
no  superior.  Dr.  Teasdale  is  no  ordinary  man,  but 
extraordinary  in  nearly  every  particular.  Some  men 
have  a  few  elements  of  greatness;  Dr.  Teasdale  has 
well  nigh  all  these  elements  in  happiest  combination. 
As  a  preacher,  he  is  safe  and  sound,  clear  and  cap- 


344  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

tivating,  forcible,  moving,  eloquent,  sublime.  As  a 
revivalist,  he  has  no  equal  in  the  United  States.  He 
has  more  tact  and  talent,  and  a  longer  and  larger  ex- 
perience as  an  evangelist,  than  any  man  now  living. 
He  is  no  sensationalist,  no  shoddyist. 

Dr.  Teasdule  is,  warp  and  woof,  a  Baptist,  a  firm, 
decided  Baptist.  In  nearly  every  sermon,  while  he 
preaches  God's  truth  in  love,  he  presents,  as  if  from 
habit,  Baptist  doctrine,  and  that,  too,  in  such  a  strong 
blaze  of  light  and  glow  of  love,  that  even  other  de- 
nominations are  attracted,  and  fall  in  love  with  him. 
He  approaches  the  sinner  with  argument,  convinces  his 
judgment,  lodges  God's  truth  in  his  heart,  then  prays 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  make  it  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation.  Thousands  have  been  converted  under 
his  ministry.  And  out  of  this  vast  number,  fewer 
have  fallen  than  from  those  of  any  other  evangelist,  a 
fact  that  he  proposes  to  prove  to  the  world,  ere  long, 
by  actual  count.  All  our  larger  towns  and  cities 
should  avail  themselves  of  the  services  of  this  able 
servant  of  God. 

As  a  natural  sequence,  the  visit  of  our  beloved 
brother  to  our  church  and  community,  was  attended 
with  happiest  results.  He  remained  with  us  sixteen 
days.  He  gave  Bible  readings  each  morning  on  the 
most  important  Christian  duties.  He  preached  every 
night  sermons  on  the  most  important,  central  and 
pointed  doctrines  of  salvation.  The  sermons  and  read- 
ings were  an  epitome  of  the  whole  doctrine  and  duties 
of  our  holy  religion.  He  left  no  important  part  un- 


OF  ^  LONG  LIFE.  345 

touched,  he  covered  all  the  ground,  and  that,  too,  in  a 
small  compass,  and  with  a  master's  hand. 

Our  church  was  greatly  blessed  and  revived.  Twenty 
were  added  ;  several  others  will  join  soon.  Over  twenty 
were  subsequently  added  to  the  church,  over  forty  in 
all,  besides  those  who  joined  other  organizations.  We 
feel  that  our  cause  was  placed  on  higher  vantage  ground. 
All  rejoiced  to  see  the  banner  of  Christ  so  handsomely 
displayed,  and  to  look  upon  such  a  scholar,  orator  and 
man  of  God,  as  one  of  our  Baptist  fathers  in  Israel. 
All  the  people  of  the  town  went  out,  many  from  great 
distances  in  the  surrounding  country  and  villages 
came — no  such  crowds  ever  before  came  to  Oxford, 
simply  to  hear  the  Word  of  God.  They  continued  to 
come,  even  to  the  last  service,  and  were  pleased, 
profited,  instructed.  All  will  remember  long,  Dr. 
Teasdale's  visit  here,  with  gratitude  and  gladness." 

J.  C.  WRIGHT. 

Oxford,  Ala." 

In  January,  1880,  Dr.  T.  held  his  second  meeting  at 
Sumter,  S.  C.  This  meeting  was  very  much  blessed  ; 
and  was  nearly  equal  in  interest  to  that  which  he  held 
there  in  1856.  It  was  touching  to  find  so  many  who  were 
active  in  his  first  meeting,  now  missing.  A  number 
had  gone  to  their  rest  and  their  reward  on  high. 
Among  this  class  were  the  Rev.  Mr.  Graham,  and  the 
venerable  Major  Hainesworth,  who  was  baptized  dur- 
ing his  first  meeting  in  that  village.  Rev.  Wm.  D. 
Rice  was  pastor  of  the  church  when  that  meeting  was 
held.  Rev.  C.  C.  Brown  was  the  pastor  when  the 


346  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

second  meeting  was  held,  and  is  still  pastor  at  this 
writing,  in  1887.  A  letter  from  him,  dated  May  14th, 
1887,  states  that  there  were  twenty  additions  to  the 
Baptist  Church  in  that  last  meeting.  He  does  not  re- 
member how  many  united  with  other  churches  as  the 
fruit  of  the  meeting.  Dr.  T.'s  recollection  is  that 
there  were  fifty  or  sixty  conversions  in  the  meeting. 

During  the  progress  of  this  meeting,  Dr.  T.  wrote 
to  Deacon  T.  P.  Lide  of  Darlington,  S.  C.,  making 
some  inquiries  as  to  the  results  of  the  meeting  which 
he  held  in  that  village  in  1855.  The  following  reply 
to  that  letter  was  duly  received  : 

"DARLINGTON,  S.  C.,  Jan.  30,  1880. 

My  Dear  Doctor:  Your  letter  was  gladly  received 
a  few  days  ago,  and  I  was  rejoiced  to  hear  of  the  good 
time  you  are  having  in  Sumter.  Would  like  very 
much  to  be  one  of  your  congregation,  and  to  visit  the 
now  joyful  home  of  my  friends,  W.  F.  B.  Haynes- 
worth  and  wife,  with  whom  I  greatly  rejoice  in  the  good 
news  from  their  children. 

I  now  proceed  to  comply,  as  far  as  I  can,  with  your 
request  to  give  the  statistics  of  the  glorious  meeting 
held  at  Darlington,  commencing  on  the  28th  of  October, 
1855,  and  running  through  ten  days  and  nights.  I 
find  the  following  entry  by  myself,  as  clerk :  'On 
this  day  commenced  a  memorable  and  glorious  meet- 
ing. Dr.  Teasdale,  according  to  appointment,  com- 
menced the  services ;  the  Holy  Spirit  attended  his 
labors  of  love  with  power  to  the  comfort  of  the 
church,  the  restoration  of  backsliders,  and  the  *alva- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  347 

tion  of  many  souls.  For  ten  days  and  nights  crowds 
hung  upon  his  lips,  and  were  made  to  rejoice  that  they 
ever  saw  his  face  and  heard  his  voice.  To  meet  other 
engagements,  he  was  obliged  to  break  away  in  the 
midst  of  a  glorious  work  of  grace.  The  parting  scene 
between  this  favored  servant  of  God,  and  the  young 
converts,  the  church  and  congregation,  was  one  of 
most  pathetic  and  solemn  interest,  which  must  be 
witnessed  to  be  fully  realized.'  Twenty-eight  persons, 
chiefly  females,  Avere  baptized — twelve  persons  had 
hope  of  conversion,  and  either  united  with  other  de- 
nominations, or  failed  to  join  any  church  ;  and  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  colored  people  were  brought  into  the 
church. 

A  goodly  company  of  these  converts,  some  with 
triumphant  faith,  have  passed  to  their  final  rest,  others 
have  fallen  away,  while  others,  as  we  hope,  are  strug- 
gling on  the  way  of  life.  No  minister  has  appeared 
among  the  number.  Invoking  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  yourself  and  family,  and  upon  your  evangelical 
labors  wherever  dispensed,  I  remain  yours  with 
fraternal  affection, 

T.  P.  LIDE." 

In  the  month  of  February,  1880,  Dr.  T.  held  a 
meeting  at  Johnston,  S.  C.,  which  was  very  much 
blessed.  During  the  progress  of  the  meeting  the  fol- 
lowing letter  appeared  in  the  Augusta  Evening  News: 

"Rcv.Thos.  C.Teasdale,  D.D.,of  Knoxville,Tenn., 
native  of  New  Jersey,  and  though  71  years  of  age,  is 
wonderfully  preserved  for  a  man  of  a  white-blossomed 


348  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

head  of  hair.  We  have  known  him  for  a  fourth  of  a  cen- 
ury,  since  that  memorable  revival  meeting  at  Edgefield 
Village,  when  he  embalmed  himself  in  the  memories 
of  her  best  citizens  and  her  vital  history.  He  was  for 
some  time  professor  of  rhetoric  and  elocution  in  the 
State  University  of  Tennessee.  He  is  a  man  of  intel- 
lect and  cultured  refinement,  and  a  Christian  gentle- 
man withal.  He  has  been  holding  a  series  of  meetings 
in  the  Baptist  Church  of  this  place,  which  have  at- 
tracted the  attendance  and  close  attention  of  all  our 
people  of  all  denominations.  He  has  done  much  good 
here  and  elsewhere  in  his  Master's  Vineyard. 

Truly  for  the  Lord  of  Hosts  and  for  the  extension 
of  His  Kingdom  in  all  loyal  hearts  does  he  work  to 
establish  heart  and  family  religion.  He  is  a  mun  of 
fervent ,  and  effectual  prayer,  a  Christian  of  spotless 
character,  of  overcoming  faith  and  tested  piety,  a 
finished  scholar,  historical  and  classical.  His  Bible 
readings  of  graphic  word  paintings  are  wonderful  ex- 
positions of  the  Word,  which,  together  with  his  able 
and  eloquent  sermons,  give  effectiveness  to  his  two- 
edged  Sword  of  the  Spirit.  Herein  is  the  secret  of  his 
successful  assistance  in  photographing  the  image  of  his 
Master  on  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  his  hearers. 
Certainly  is  he  an  extraordinary  personage,  constituted 
of  all  the  elements  necessary,  combining  in  happy  uni- 
son, to  make  a  great  man  and  a  powerful  evangelist. 

It  certainly  is  an  indubitable  fact,  that  our  whole 
Christian  community  has  already  been  wonderfully  re- 
vived, refreshed,  blessed  and  well  assured  that  the 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  349 

banner  of  King  Jesus  will  not,  in  his  hands,  be  trailed 
in  the  dust.  We  feel  that  the  cause  of  religion  has 

<T* 

been  placed  on  higher  vantage  ground,  to  the  dismay 
of  skeptics  and  the  enemies  of  the  Cross  of  Christ. 
And  while  Zion  travails  and  brings  forth  sons  and 

o 

daughters  into  the  kingdom,  we  have  abundant  ground 
for  hope  and  confidence  that  our  'libtle  one  may  be- 
come a  thousand,'  while  gospel  faith  and  the  Spirit's 
power  give  victory  to  the  SWORD  of  the  LORD  and  of 
GIDEON.  E.  J.  MIMS,  M.  D." 

The  meeting  at  Johnston  continued  two  weeks.  Nine 
were  added  to  the  Baptist  Church,  by  baptism;  sev- 
eral others  were  expected  to  join  the  Methodist  Society  ; 
and  a  large  number  were  still  inquiring  what  they  must 
do  to  be  saved,  when  the  meeting  closed.  Christians 
expressed  themselves  as  greatly  edified  and  strength- 
ened by  the  services;  and  a  noble  impulse  was  given 
to  our  cause  in  that  place. 

After  closing  that  interesting  meeting  at  .Johnston* 
Dr.  T.  went  over  to  Edgefield  to  hold  another  meeting 
in  that  place.  Twenty -five  years  before,  as  was  stated 
in  its  place,  he  had  held  a  very  interesting  meeting 
there  ;  and  the  recollection  of  many  of  the  scenes,  that 
transpired  during  that  meeting,  were  fresh  in  the  mem- 
ories of  many  still  living  there,  as  they  were  also  in 
the  memory  of  Dr.  T.  himself.  He  remained  in  Edge- 
field  on  this  occasion  nearly  two  weeks.  He  had  been 
told  before  he  went  there,  that  Edgefield  was  the  hard- 
est place  in  the  state  ;  and  that  there  was  very  little 
chance  of  doing  any  good  there.  But  he  was  greeted 


350  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

in  the  beginning  with  a  large  congregation,  and  as  the 
meeting  progressed  the  interest  increased,  until  the 
house  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  a  general 
awakening  in  the  village  soon  followed.  Of  the  meet- 
ing, the  Edgefield  Advertiser  said  : 

"Day  by  day,  and  night  by  night,  for  ten  days  past, 
Dr.  Teasdale  has  preached  in  our  Baptist  Church.  And 
perhaps  never  since  Dr.  Teasdale's  first  visit  to  us, 
twenty-five  years  ago,  has  Edgefield  been  so  moved  and 
shaken.  Crowds  have  followed  him  at  every  service, 
and  beyond  all  doubt  his  warnings  have  prevented  many 
shipwrecks  of  mortal  souls.  And  still — even  when  he 
shall  be  gone — the  leaven  will  work.  For  fifty  years 
— we  dare  say  longer — he  has  stood,  as  it  were,  like  a 
lighthouse  on  a  rock-bound  shore.  For  years  the 
storms  have  beaten  around  him  fearfully,  but  the  light 
has  never  been  extinguished,  nor  grown  dim.  He  de- 
parts from  among  us  on  Saturday  afternoon  next,  for 
Augusta;  and  may  God  grant  him  a  long  continuation 
of  his  useful  life  !" 

Sixteen  had  been  baptized  before  he  left  Edgefield; 
five  others  had  been  received  for  baptism  ;  and  a  large 
number  were  still  inquiring  what  they  must  do  to  be 
saved.  Quite  a  number  joined  the  church  after  he  left. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  nothing  is  too  hard  for  the 
Lord.  Our  motto  should  ever  be  <lnihil  desperandum .'' " 

After  leaving  Edgefield,  Dr.  T.  spent  a  few  days  in 
conducting  a  meeting  in  the  little  church  in  the  First 
Ward  of  Augusta,  Ga.  The  meeting  was  considerably 
blessed,  and  a  number  were  added  to  the  church  by 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  351 

baptism.  The  Baptistry  of  the  Greene  Street  Church 
was  used  in  baptizing  the  converts.  Dr.  W.  W.  Land- 
rum  was  pastor  of  the  Greene  Street  Church  at  that 
time,  and  by  request  .baptized  the  converts.  The  con- 
gregations on  the  baptismal  occasions  were  very  large; 
and  that  gave  Dr.  T.  access  to  many  who  did  not  attend 
the  meeting  in  the  First  Ward.  Dr.  T.  was  the  guest 
of  the  Mayor  of  the  city  while  conducting  that  meeting ; 
and  he  found  a  pleasant  home  in  the  Mayor's  family. 

From  Augusta^  Dr.  T.  returned  to  Knoxville,  and  he 
found  the  Church  Committee  anxiously  looking  out  for 
a  pastor  to  supply  the  place  of  Dr.  Eager,  who  had 
recently  gone  to  Mobile  to  take  charge  of  the  St. 
Francis  Street  Church  in  that  city.  He  advised  the 
committee  to  invite  Bro.  C.  H.  Strickland,  then  of 
Augusta,  to  make  them  a  visit.  They  did  so;  and  he 
was  immediately  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church. 
Brother  Strickland's  labors  in  Knoxville  were  highly 
appreciated  and  very  much  blessed.  The  church  parted 
with  him  very  reluctantly,  when  he  was  called  to  Nash- 
ville. 

Dr.  T.  held  a  series  of  revival  meetings  in  the  First 
Baptist  Church,  of  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  in  April,  1880.  Dr. 
Skinner  was  then  pastor  of  that  church.  This  was  the 
fourth  meeting  in  which  Dr.  T.  had  labored  with  Dr. 

O 

Skinner,  in  a  series  of  revival  services.  The  first  was 
held  in  Raleigh,  in  185(5.  The  second  was  held  in 
Columbus,  Ga.  The  third  in  Macon,  Ga.,  accounts  of 
which  have  been  given  in  their  places  in  this  volume. 
The  last  meeting  held  with  Dr.  Skinner,  in  Raleigh, 


352  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

commenced  on  April  4th,  and  continued  until  April 
26th,  1880.  A  copy  from  the  records  of  the  church  in 
relation  to  this  meeting  may  be  here  inserted. 

"Since  our  last  conference  meeting,  our  church  has 
enjoyed  a  precious  season  of  revival  conducted  by  Dr. 
T.  C.  Teasdale,  of  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  beginning  on 
April  4th,  and  continuing  until  April  26th,  during  which 
time  quite  a  number  professed  faith  in  Christ,  and 
twenty-nine  were  baptized  into  the  fellowship  of  the 
church." 

The  number  converted  in  this  meeting  was  estimated, 
at  the  time,  to  be  about  sixty.  And  but  for  the  fact 
that  Dr.  Nelson  was  holding  a  series  of  meetings  in  the 
Second  Church  at  the  same  time,  the  number  of  con- 
verts in  the  First  Church  would  probably  have  been 
much  greater. 

An  incident  occurred  during  this  meeting  which  is 
deemed  worthy  of  especial  mention.  There  was  a 'gen- 
tleman connected  with  this  congregation,  whose  wife  was 
a  useful  member  of  the  church,  and  who  had  been  pray- 
ing for  the  conversion  of  her  husband  for  thirty  years, 
or  more.  Dr.  T.  had  formed  the  acquaintance  of  this 
gentleman  many  years  before  ;  and  on  his  arrival  in 
Raleigh  he  called  on  him  at  his  place  of  business.  He 
had  been  long  engaged  as  Publisher  and  Bookseller  in 
that  city.  Dr.  T.  said  to  him,  "Mr.  W.  I  learn  with 
regret,  sir,  that  you  are  yet  unconverted  and  out  of  the 
church."  Mr.  W.  replied,  "I  am  sorry  to  say,  sir,  it 
is  true."  Dr.  T.  then  said  to  him,  "Well,  sir,  I  trust 
before  I  leave  this  city  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  353 

greeting  you  as  a  true  convert  to  Jesus,"  Mr.  W.  re- 
plied with  manifest  emotion,  "I  wish  it  might  be  so." 
This  gentleman  attended  the  meetings  every  night,  and 
every  day,  when  business  would  permit.  No  man  in 
the  cily  was  more  generally  known  and  respected  than 
Mr.  W.  Strictly  moral  and  honest  and  kind  to  all,  he 
had  won  the  affections  of  the  people  of  the  city  gen- 
erally, and  his  conversion  was  greatly  desired,  not  only 
by  his  pious  wife,  but  by  the  pastor  and  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church.  Dr.  T.  observed  that  every  time 
those  who  desired  an  interest  in  the  prayers  of  Chris- 
tians were  requested  to  arise  in  the  congregation,  Mr. 
W.  was  among  the  first  to  stand  upon  his  feet.  But 
he  obtained  no  relief,  Dr.  T.  began  to  mistrust  that  he 
was  cherishing  a  will  not  in  his  mind.  He  had  in  every 
meeting  been  willing  to  arise  for  prayer  ;  but  he  had 
never  been  known  to  go  forward  for  prayers.  One 
night,  Dr.  T.  alluded  to  the  will  nots  in  the  sinner's 
mind  which  prevent  his  conversion.  At  tho  close  of 
the  sermon  and  when  the  anxious  were  invited  to  come 
forward  for  prayers,  Mr.  W.  said  to  his  wife,  "My 
dear,  if  you  will  accompany  me,  I  will  go  forward  for 
prayer."  Joyfully  his  wife  exclaimed  "Yes,  husband, 
I  will  gladly  go  with  you  to  the  seat  for  prayer,"  and 
taking  his  arm  they  came  together  to  the  seat  for  praj'er. 
And  when  they  were  seated,  on  the  front  bench,  his 
wife  said  to  him,  "Now,  my  dear,  I  do  trust  you  will 
give  your  heart  to  Jesus  this  very  night."  And  the  hus 
band  replied,  "I  have  done  it  already."  "Do  you 
mean  to  say,"  said  his  wife,  "that  you  are  converted?" 


354  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "I  trust  I  am  converted."  "May  I  tell 
Dr.  Skinner,"  she  said,  "that  you  think  you  are  con- 
verted?" "Yes,"  said  he,  "tell  everybody  that  I  am 
converted."  And  it  was  indeed  an  old  fashioned,  genu- 
ine conversion.  Dr.  Nelson,  who  Avas  present  when  he  re- 
lated his  Christian  experience,  and  which  he  did  in  de- 
tail and  without  prompting,  remarked,  "That  was  pure 
cream  an  inch  thick."  So  his  will  not  was  an  opposi- 
tion to  coming  forward  for  prayer.  The  probability  is 
that  he  was  converted  before  he  left  his  seat  to  come 
forward,  or  on  his  way  to  the  seat  for  prayer.  Certain 
it  is  that  he  was  converted  when  he  took  the  seat  for 
special  prayer,  if  not  before.  He  is  now,  in  his  old 
age,  one  of  the  most  honored  and  pious  members  of 
the  church.  The  congregations  were  large  and  atten- 
tive throughout  the  meeting  in  this  city. 

From  Raleigh,  in  May,  1880,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Dur- 
ham, N.  C.,  to  assist  Rev.  C.  Durham  in  a  meeting  at 
that  place.  This  village  is  celebrated  all  over  the 
country  for  its  extensive  tobacco  factories.  It  is  really 
interesting  to  go  through  those  factories  and  witness 
the  various  processes  of  manufacturing  tobacco.  The 
meeting  at  this  place  continued  thirteen  days.  The 
pastor  baptized  seven  during  the  meeting,  three  young 
men,  and  four  girls.  One  of  the  young  men  baptized 
in  that  meeting  is  now  (1887)  Clerk  of  the  church. 
Dr.  T.  made  his  home  during  the  meeting  in  the  pleas- 
ant family  of  the  pastor  ;  and  he  spent  the  time  very 
agreeably  with  them.  He  found  Bro.  Durham  thorough- 
ly ingratiated  in  the  affections  of  the  people  of  his 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  355 

charge.  He  had  then  been  pastor  there  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  is  still  the  pastor  of  that  church  at  the 
present  writing.  His  labors  among  that  people  have 
been  greatly  blessed. 

On  Tuesday,  May  llth,  1880,  Dr.  T.  commenced  a 
series  of  meetings  in  Wilmington,  N.  C.,  which  con- 
tinued until  the  night  of  June  6th.  Bible  readings 
were  given  every  day,  and  preaching  occurred  every 
night.  Bro.  J.  B.  Taylor  was  then  pastor  of  the 
church.  In  a  recent  letter,  in  answer  to  some  inquiries 
about  the  meeting,  Dr.  Taylor  says,  "We  had  thirty- 
five  additions  during  the  meeting."  Dr.  T.  made  his 
home  during  his  stay  in  Wilmington  with  Deacon  Geo. 
R.  French,  Sr.,  and  his  excellent  wife;  and  a  more 
pleasant  home  could  not  be  found.  The  number  of 
converts  in  the  meeting,  besides  those  who  united  with 
the  Baptist  Church  is  not  known.  There  were,  how- 
ever, quite  a  number  who  professed  hope  in  Christ  dur- 
ing the  meeting,  who  united  with  other  denominations. 

Dr.  T.  assisted   Dr.  Theodore  Whitfield  for  a  few 

• 

days  in  a  meeting  at  Charlotte,  N.  C.,  in  September, 
1880.  The  meeting-house  was  so  far  away  from  the 
centre  of  the  city,  that  it  was  next  to  impossible  to 
draw  a  crowd  out  of  the  city.  Still,  the  night  con- 
gregations were  quite  good,  and  the  meeting  was  a 
blessing  to  the  church.  Dr.  T.  assisted  in  raising  on 
subscription,  a  handsome  sum  to  finish  their  new  meet- 
ing-house, then  in  course  of  erection  on  a  very  eligible 
site  on  the  principal  street  in  the  city.  The  house  has 
since  been  completed,  and  the  Baptists  stand  on  a 


356  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

much  better  vantage  ground  than  they  did  while  in 
their  old  meeting-house.  A  very  interesting  and  in- 
fluential young  lady,  of  another  denomination,  united 
with  the  Baptist  Church  during  that  meeting. 

Dr.  T.  held  a  series  of  revival  meetings  in  the  Cum- 
berland Street  Baptist  Church,  in  Norfolk,  Va.,  in  the 
latter  part  of  November,  and  closing  the  second  Sun- 
day in  December,  1880,  with  a  densely  thronged  audi- 
ence in  the  Academy  of  Music.  The  brethren  speak 
of  the  meeting  as  having  been  a  good  one,  and  say  that 
a  number  were  added  to  the  church — how  many  they 
cannot  state,  as  the  records  were  lost.  Brother  Wood 
was  then  the  esteemed  pastor  of  the  church,  and  Dr.T. 
made  his  home  in  his  pleasant  family  during  his  stay 
in  Norfolk. 

An  incident  occurred  during  this  meeting  which  is 
worthy  of  note.  One  of  the  most  elegant  opera-houses 
in  all  the  land,  had  just  approached  completion  in  that 
city.  As  Brother  Wood  and  Dr.  T.  were  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  building,  Mr.  Wood  suggested  that  we  should  go 
in  and  view  the  structure.  And  while  we  were  ad- 
miring its  elegance,  and  its  admirable  adaptation  to  the 
purposes  for  which  it  was  intended,  Dr.  T.  casually 
remarked  to  the  proprietor,  who  happened  to  be  pres- 
ent, "What  a  good  thing  it  would  be  if  the  first  public 
exercise  held  in  this  building  should  be  a  gospel  ser- 
mon." The  proprietor  replied,  "Will you  preach  that 
sermon?  If  you  will  consent  to  do  so,  I  will  have 
everything  arranged  for  the  service,  and  shall  be 
pleased  to  have  you  preach  here  at  any  time  that  may 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  357 

suit  your  convenience."  Dr.  T.  replied  that  he  would 
consult  the  brethren  about  the  matter,  and  report  the 
result  to  him  the  next  day.  The  brethren  favored  the 
movement,  and  report  was  made  to  the  proprietor  ac- 
cordingly. It  was  agreed  that  the  service  should  be 
held  at  3  o'clock  on  the  following  Sunday  afternoon. 
Notice  of  the  intended  service  was  published  in  the 
city  papers,  and  given  in  the  various  pulpits  of  the 
city  on  Sunday  morning.  Slips  containing  the  hymns 
to  be  sung  were  printed  and  distributed  all  over  the 
Opera  House  before  the  services  began.  The  house 
had  a  main  audience  room,  and  two  galleries,  and  it 
was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity  with  attentive  hearers. 
As  it  was  a  little  dim  in  the  house,  so  late  in  the  dav, 
the  accommodating  proprietor  let  on  the  gas,  which 
was  done,  without  any  confusion  or  delay ,  by  electricity, 
and  the  beautiful  building  was  brilliantly  illuminated 
for  the  occasion.  A  presenter  occupied  tho  stand  with 
the  clergymen  who  were  present,  and  led  the  singing. 
The  great  congregation  joined  heartily  in  the  singing, 
and  it  was  a  pleasant  thought  that  the  first  voices  that 
were  to  fill  that  house,  were  those  of  Christian 
worshippers.  As  was  anticipated  by  the  brethren,  a 
large  number  of  persons  were  present  who  never  visit 
the  churches,  and  they  listened  most  respectfully  to  the 
entire  sermon.  Dr.  T.  was  so  impressed  with  the  vast- 
ness  of  the  crowd,  and  the  character  of  many  of  his 
hearers,  that  he  preached  an  earnest  and  solemn  sermon 
on  the  General  Judgment.  His  text  was  in  Revela 
tions  xx.  12,  "And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great, 


358  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

stand  before  God  :  and  the  books  were  opened ;  and 
another  book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life; 
and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things  which 
were  written  in  the  books  according  to  their  works." 
May  we  not  hope  that  some  happy  fruits  will  result 
from  that  sermon  ? 

From  Norfolk,  Dr.  T.  went  out  to  assist  the  ven- 
erable Reuben  Jones  in  a  series  of  meetings  at  his 
church  at  Churchland,  in  the  country.  He  had  assisted 
a  former  pastor  in  a  series  of  meetings  with  that 
church,  when  he  was  pastor  of  the  Thirteenth  Street 
Church  in  Washington  City.  It  was  in  summer  time 
that  that  meeting  was  held,  and  the  weather  was  very 
hot.  Dr.  T.  contracted  malarial  fever  there,  which 
developed  itself  after  his  return  to  Washington.  It 
was  a  serious  attack  of  the  fever,  and  came  near  termi- 
nating his  life.  He  was  not,  therefore,  a  stranger  to 
many  of  the  brethren  and  sisters  of  that  church,  and 
his  coming  among  them  was  greeted -by  the  warmest 
reception.  The  congregations  were  very  large,  and 
many  were  converted  in  the  meeting.  The  Christian 
graces  of  the  members  were  greatly  revived,  and  every- 
body seemed  interested  in  the  meeting.  What  were 
large  plantations  when  he  held  his  first  meeting  there, 
were  now  cut  up  into  farms,  and  almost  entirely  de- 
voted to  fruit  and  vegetable  culture.  Ships  for  New 
York  left  Norfolk  three  times  a  week,  and  a  large 
quantity  of  fruits  and  vegetables  were  sent  to  New 
York  on  every  trip  of  these  steamers,.  Much  was  also 
shipped  to  Baltimore  and  Washington  City.  Dr.  T. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  359 

lodged  with  Bro.  Jones  at  the  parsonage  during  the 
meeting ;  but  he  and  the  pastor  were  invited  to  dine 
with  the  brethren  almost  every  day  during  his  stay 
among  them.  He  cherishes  the  kindest  remembrance 
of  that  meeting  and  its  results. 

In  July,  1882,  Dr.T.  held  a  meeting  atRipley,Tenn. 
The  interest  in  the  meeting  soon  became  so  great  that 
the  Baptist  meeting-house  would  not  hold  the  people, 
and  arrangements  were  made  to  remove  the  meeting 
from  the  church  to  the  Court  House.  The  Court  Room 
is  a  spacious  hall,  well  seated  and  admirably  adapted 
to  accommodate  the  crowds.  It  is  also  well  ventilated; 
and  the  people  as  well  as  the  preacher  were  very  grate- 
ful that  such  a  change  was  made.  The  meeting  con- 
tinued two  weeks.  The  pastor,  Elder  E.  C.  Faulkner, 
baptized  ten  at  the  close  of  the.  meeting.  The  pastor, 
in  speaking  of  that  meeting,  in  a  recent  letter  to  Dr. 
T.,  says:  "It  was  a  good  meeting  ;  the  good  effects  of 
which  did  not  die  with  the  meeting,  but  were  lasting." 
How  many  united  with  other  denominations  as  the  re- 
sult of  that  meeting  is  not  known. 

In  August,  1882,  Dr.  T.  held  a  meeting  at  Trenton, 
Ky.  The  meeting  was  largely  attended,  and  much 
good  was  effected  by  it.  Elder  A.  F.  Pearson  was 
then  the  esteemed  pastor  of  the  church ;  and  Dr.  T. 
made  his  home  fh  the  pastor's  family  during  his  stay 
in  Trenton.  Some  other  meetings  were  held  that  year. 

Dr.  T.  gave  several  months  in  the  beginning  of  1883 
in  agency  work  for  the  American  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society.  The  Treasurer  of  the  Society  expressed  en- 


360  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

tire  satisfaction  with  his  labors  in  its  interests,  and 
told  him  that  he  had  raised  more  money  for  the  Society 
than  any  other  agent  during  the  period  of  his  agency. 
In  May,  1883,  the  American  and  Foreign  Bible  So- 
ciety, and  the  American  Bible  Union,  were  merged 
into  the  Bible  work  of  the  American  Baptist  Publica- 
tion Society.  And  the  work  has  been  prosecuted  and 
managed  with  great  efficiency  by  Rev.  Dr.  C.  C.  Bitting, 
the  Society's  Secretar}7  for  that  department.  It  may 
be  a  matter  of  interest  to  some  to  know  that  Dr.  T. 
was  agent  for  a  while  of  this  Society  in  1830-31,  when 
it  was  the  Baptist  General  Tract  Society,  and  Rev.  Ira 
M.  Allen  was  its  Corresponding  Secretary.  Dr.  T.  is 
probably  the  oldest  agent  of  that  Society  now  living. 
He  has  always  felt  a  deep  interest  in  the  work  of  the 
Society.  At  its  anniversary  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  in 
1845,  Dr.  T.  made  one  of  the  special  addresses,  by 
request  pf  the  Corresponding  Secretary,  which  was 
printed  in  the  Minutes  of  that  year.  Rev.  J.  M.  Peck 
was  then  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Society. 
At  the  meeting  of  our  anniversaries  that  year  in  Prov- 
idence, the  Southern  brethren  severed  their  connection 
with  the  Board  in  Boston,  and  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention  was  immediately  formed. 

In  April,  1883,  Dr.  T.  held  a  series  of  meetings  in 
the  Calvary  Baptist  Church  in  Meridian,  Miss.  The 
meetings  continued  about  three  weeks,  and  resulted  in 
great  good  to  that  young  church.  Nineteen  accessions 
were  made  to  the  church — fourteen  by  experience  and 
baptism,  and  five  by  letier.  The  church  is  in  prosper- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  361 

ous  condition  at  the  time  of  this  writing  (1887),  and 
the  pastor,  Elder  Vane,  has  reason  to  be  encouraged 
in  his  work. 

From  Meridian,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Saratoga  Springs,  to 
attend  the  Baptist  Anniversaries  which  were  held  there 
the  latter  part  of  May.  After  his  return  he  held  a 
meeting  at  Bibbville,  Ala.,  which  was  considerably 
blessed.  His  home  during  the  meeting  was  with  Capt. 
Flournoy,  a  son  of  Dea.  Flouruoy,  of  Meridian.  •  It 
was  a  very  pleasant  home. 

Dr.  T.  went  to  Oxford,  Ala.,  in  September,  1883, 
and  held  his  second  meeting  there.  The  meeting  con- 
tinued ten  days.  Eight  were  baptized  into  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  church,  and  three  joined  by  letter.  It  is 
thought  by  the  pastor,  Bro.  J.  C.  Wright,  that  fifteen 
or  twenty  were  converted  in  the  meeting.  The  Purser 
Brothers  were  conducting  a  meeting  in  Anniston  at 
the  same  time.  And  although  we  endeavored  to  co- 
operate cordially,  as  far  as  possible,  it  is  thought  much 
more  good  would  have  been  accomplished  if  the  meet- 
ings had  been  held  at  different  times.  That  was  the 
opinion  of  Pastor  Wright  at  the  time.  Dr.  T.  made 
his  home  during  the  meeting  with  Mayor  Kelly  and 
his  estimable  wife. 

In  October,  1883,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Flintville,  Tenn., 
to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  with  the  little  Baptist 
Church  in  that  place.  He  remained  there  over  two 
weeks,  and  delivered  during  the  services  seventeen 
sermons  and  Bible  readings.  The  meetings  were  at- 
tended with  great  success.  The  Holy  Spirit  attended 


362  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

the  word  spoken,  and  a  general  religious  awakening  in 
the  community  was  the  result.  Quite  a  large  number 
were  baptized  and  added  to  the  church  ;  and  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  last  sermon  by  Dr.  T.  about  thirty  un- 
converted men  came  forward  and  gave  him  their  hands, 
and  requested  him  to  pray  for  them.  The  meeting  went 
on  after  he  left ;  and  the  little  church  was  greatly  en- 
couraged and  strengthened  on  the  occasion. 

From  Flintville,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Paducah,  Ky.,  to 
marry  his  son,  R.  L.  Teasdale,  the  Druggist  of  Colum- 
bus, Miss.  His  son  married  Miss  Lizzie  McKnight, 
one  of  Paducah's  popular  young  ladies.  After  the 
wedding,  Dr.  T.  accompanied  the  happy  couple  and 
his  son  Howard  M.  Teasdale,  the  Book  i  lerchant  of 
Columbus,  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  took  in  the  Louis- 
ville Exposition,  which  was  then  in  full  operation. 
From  Louisville,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Knoxville  Mid  spent 
some  days  with  his  family. 


OF  A  LOJTG  LIFE.  363 


CHAPTER  XV. 


In  November,  1883,.  he  went  to  assist  Rev.  T.  R. 
Taylor,  in  a  series  of  meetings  at  Asbury  Park,  N.  J. 
He  preached  forty  sermons  at  this  place,  including  his 
Bible  readings.  A  considerable  number  were  converted 
in  the  meeting,  and  the  church  was  greatly  revived. 
His  home  while  here  was  in  the  pastor's  pleasant  f  am- 
ity. 

From  Asbury  Park,  he  went  to  Jersey  City,  and 
labored  with  his  old  time  friend,  Rev.  Dr.  \V.  W. 
Everts,  for  a  week.  Untoward  circumstances  rendered 
his  efforts  here  almost  unavailing.  Still,  some  good 
was  done;  some  were  converted,  and  the  church  was 
somewhat  revived.  He  made  his  home  here  with  Dr. 
Everts'  family  and  was  well  entertained. 

He  went  from  Dr.  Everts'  church,  which  is  called 
the  Bergen  Hights,  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  in 
Jersey  City,  which  was  then  and  is  still  under  the  pas- 
toral care  of  Rev.  Dr.  Parmly.  The  number  of  ser- 
mons and  Bible  readings  given  to  this  church  during 
this  meeting  was  thirty-four.  It  was  a  very  interest- 
ing meeting,  and  a  large  number  were  added  to  the 
church.  Dr.  Parmly  labored  earnestly  in  the  meeting, 
as  did  Dr.  Everts,  and  Bro.  Taylor  in  their  meetings. 
His  home,  while  laboring  with  the  first  Church  in  Jersey 


364  REMINISCENCES   AND  INCIDENTS 

City,  was  in  the  family  of  the  pastor,   and  a  pleasant 
home  it  was. 

From  Jersey  City,  he  went  over  into  New  York  City, 
in  February,  1884,  to  assist  Rev.  Dr.  C.  C.  Norton  in 
a  series  of  meetings  in  the  Central  Park  Church,  of 
which  he  was  pastor.  The  number  of  sermons  and 
Bible  readings  delivered  in  this  meeting  was  eighteen. 
The  number  of  accessions  to  the  church  was  not  great ; 
but  the  pastor  and  the  church  felt  that  good  was  done 
in  the  meeting.  His  home  during  this  meeting  was  in 
the  pastor's  family,  and  nothing  was  wanting  to  make 
him  happy  in  that  pleasant  family. 

In  June,  1884,  Dr.  T.  assisted  Rev.  G.  S.  Anderson 
in  a  series  of  meetings  at  Uniontown,  Ala.,  which  was 
very  much  blessed.  And  in  the  following  October,  he 
held  another  meeting  there,  which  was  also  greatly 
blessed.  Bro.  Anderson  has  rendered  important  ser- 
vice to  this  church,  as  well  as  to  the  cause  in  Demopolis, 
and  other  places.  Dr.  T.  made  his  home  while  in  Un- 
ioutown,  in  both  meetings,  with  the  family  of  Dr.  C. 
C.  Carr,  from  whom  he  received  the  kindest  attentions. 

In  July,  1884,  Dr.  T.  wenttoBrookhaven,  Miss.,  to 
assist  Elder  J.  R.  Farish  in  a  series  of  meetings.  The 
meeting  was  a  good  one,  and  resulted  in  the  accession 
of  several  valuable  converts  to  the  church.  Among  the 
number  baptized  was  a  daughter  of  Judge  J.  B.  Chris- 
man,  an  estimable  young  lady. 

In  August,  1884,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Magnolia,  Miss.,  to 
assist  Rev.  Dr.  Zcaly,  in  a  series  of  meetings  in  his 
church  at  that  place.  The  meeting  was  a  most  excel- 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  365 

lent  one.  The  congregations  were  very  large  and  quite 
a  number  were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism.  Our 
cause  in  that  village  was  greatly  strengthened  by  this 
meeting.  The  following  notice  of  the  meeting  ap- 
peared in  the  Times- Democrat  of  New  Orleans  : 

"RELIGIOUS  REVIVAL  AT  MAGNOLIA,  MISS. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  Christians  who  read  your  ex- 
cellent journal  to  know  that  a  religious  mooting  of 
great  interest  is  in  progress  here.  The  meeting  is  in 
the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  Rev.  Dr.  Zealy  is  pastor, 
and  is  conducted  by  that  eminent  and  successful  evan- 
gelist, Rev.  Dr.  T.  C.  Teasdale,  formerly  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  The  church  is  crowded  daily  with 
anxious  and  interested  listeners,  and  the  influence  of 
the  meeting  is  spreading  with  great  rapidity.  The  ser- 
mons are  eminently  practical  and  the  preaching  im- 
pressively earnest.  Though  over  70  years  of  age,  Dr. 
Teasdale  preaches  two  sermons  daily  without  any  ap- 
parent exhaustion,  and  is  as  fervid  and  eloquent  as  he 
was  when  I  heard  him  twenty  years  ago.  In  the  ser- 
vice Sunday  night,  about  forty  persons  rose  for  prayer 
and  an  almost  painful  solemnity  brooded  over  the 
hundreds  who  heard  the  rigidly  logical  and  yet  pathet- 
ic sermon  preached  on  that  occasion." 

From  Magnolia,  Dr.  T.  went  to  ISew  Hope,  another 
of  Dr.  Zeaty's  churches,  and  labored  there  eight  days. 
That  meeting  was  also  blessed,  and  several  were  bap- 
tized into  the  fellowship  of  the  church.  The  people 
came  far  and  near  to  the  meetings,  night  and  day,  and 
the  congregations  were  large  and  attentive. 


366  REMINISCENCES  A*ND  INCIDENTS 

From  this  church,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Madison,  a  station 
on  the  Central  Illinois  Railroad,  where  Dr.  Zealy 
preached  at  night,  on  the  Sundays  on  which  he  sup- 
plied the  New  Hope  Church.  The  meeting  here  was 
well  attended,  and  several  were  baptized  as  the  result. 
While  conducting  the  meeting  at  Madison,  Dr.  T.  was 
invited  to  dine  one  day  with  Dr.  Mcl&iy,  the  straw- 
berry king  of  national  celebrity.  He  had  seen  exten- 
sive strawberry  grounds,  on  the  farms  near  Norfolk, 
Va.  ;  but  Dr.  McKay's  exceeded  anything  of  the  sort 
he  had  ever  seen  before. 

From  Madison,    Dr.    T.  went  to   Pickens,  Holmes 
county,  to  meet  the  Baptist  brethren  of  that  section  in 
their  union  meeting.     He  preached  three  sermons  dur- 
ing his  brief  stay  there,  for  which  he  was  liberally  com-, 
pensated.     The  church  at  that  place  had  recently  com 
pleted  a  very  neat  and  commodious  house  of  worship, 
in  the  accomplishment  of  which  an  excellent  sister    in 
the  church  had  taken  a  very  active  part. 

From  Pickens,  Dr.  T.  returned  to  his  home  in  Knox- 
ville,  Tenn.,  and  spent  a  few  days  with  his  family,  and 
then  went  to  Morristown,  East  Tennessee,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1884,  and  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  that  village. 
He  delivered  in  this  meeting  twenty-six  sermons  and 
Bible  readings ;  and  although  the  accessions  were  not 
large,  yet  the  brethren  expressed  themselves  as  greatly 
edified  and  blessed.  No  doubt  good  was  done. 

From  Morristown,  Dr.  T.  went  to  Whitcsburg,  and 
held  a  brief  series  of  meetings  there.  The  venerable 
Elder  T.  J.  Lane,  eighty  years  old,  was  the  esteemed 


<>i    A  LONG  LIFE.  367 

pastor  of  that  church.  The  meetings  were  well  nttend- 
ed,  and  good  was  accomplished,  though  the  conver- 
sions were  not  numerous. 

In  October,  1884,  Dr.  T.  assisted  the  pastor  of  the 
Mulberry  Church,  Middle  Tennessee,  in  a  series  of 
meetings.  Bro.  T.  H.  Crouch  was  the  esteemed  pas- 
tor. The  meetings  were  well  attended,  and  considera- 
ble good,  it  is  hoped,  was  accomplished  in  various  ways 
by  the  meeting. 

Dr.  T.  held  a  series  of  meetings  that  same  month  at 
Demopolis,  Ala.  This  was  a  new  interest,  gotten  up 
under  the  earnest  labors  of  Bro.  G.  S.  Anderson. 
Their  new  meeting-house  was  not  then  finished,  and 
the  meetings  were  held  in  the  Presbyterian  meeting- 
house. The  interest  evinced  in  the  services  was  very 
gratifying,  and  it  was  thought  much  good  was  done  to 
the  cause  of  Christ  in  that  city. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  in  Demopolis,  Dr.  T. 
went  to  Uniontown,  and  held  his  second  meeting  there, 
as  previously  stated.  Afterwards  he  returned  to  Knox- 
ville,  Tenn.,  to  make  arrangements  for  moving  back 
his  family  to  Columbus,  Miss.,  their  former  home. 
They  had  never  sold  their  home  in  Columbus.  During 

*/  o 

their  absence  of  twelve  years  in  Knoxville,  one  of 
their  sons  had  occupied  the  premises,  and  thus  the 
property  was  well  preserved.  They  moved  back  from 
Knoxville  a  part  of  their  furniture;  and  with  what 
they  had  left  in  Columbus,  and  what  they  brought 
back  from  Knoxville,  and  what  they  purchased,  after 
coming  back,  they  Avere  soon  fitted  up  very  com- 


368  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

fortably,  and   have  lived  pleasantly  and  quietly  ever 
since  their  return  to  Columbus. 

On  his  return  to  Columbus,  in  November,  1884,  Dr. 
T.  found  the  Baptist  Church  destitute  of  a  pastor — 
Bro.  S.  F.  Taylor  having  closed  his  labors  there  some 
weeks  before.  He  consented  to  supply  the  church 
until  they  could  procure  a  pastor.  In  the  latter  part 
of  March,  1885,  Rev.  C.  E.  W.  Dobbs,  D.  £.,  visited 
the  church  by  request,  and  was  called  to  the  pastorate 
at  once.  He  entered  on  his  labors  as  pastor  the  first 
Sunday  in  April,  1885. 

In  April,  1885,  Dr.  T.  preached  in  the  morning  for 
Dr.  Renfroe,  in  Talladega,  Ala.,  and  then  went  up  to 
Anniston  to  preach  at  night.  He  remained  in  Annis- 
ton  two  or  three  days ;  and  was  the  guest  of  Bro.E.  B. 
Smyth  and  his  excellent  lady ;  and  then  went  oil  to 
Knoxville,  Tenn.,  and  spent  the  following  Sunday 
there.  He  preached  on  Sunday  morning  in  the  First 
Baptist  Church  to  a  very  large  congregation.  And  at 
night  he  preached  for  the  Cumberland  Presbyterians 
of  that  city. 

From  Knoxville,  he  went  to  Augusta,  Ga.,  to  attend 
the  Southern  Baptist  Convention.  The  meeting  was  a 
pleasant  one,  and  he  enjoyed  the  fraternal  greetings 
of  the  members  of  the  Convention  very  much.  Such 
greetings  are  always  pleasant  and  profitable. 

From  the  Conventon,  he  went  to  Covington,  Ga.,  to 
assist  the  pastor,  Rev.  J.  M.  Brittain,  in  a  series  of 
meetings.  Covington  is  the  stronghold  of  Methodism 
in  Georgia.  Both  their  male  and  female  colleges  are 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  369 

located  at  that  place..  But  Dr.  T.  was  very  kindly  re- 
ceived by  the  community  at  large;  and  the  Methodist 
Female  College  was  suspended  to  enable  the  teachers 
and  pupils  to  participate  in  the  morning  services  every 
day. 

Dr.  T.  delivered  here  thirty-one  sermons  and  Bible 
Readings,  and  quite  a,  number  were  added  to  the 
church,  and  the  Baptist  cause  was  considerably  ad- 
vanced in  Covington  by  the  blessing  of  God  upon  the 
the  meeting.  Some  persons  of  influence  in  the  com- 
munity were  brought  into  the  church. 

In  July,  1885,  he  assisted  the  pastor  of  the  new 
Salem  Church,  in  Lowndes  County,  Miss.,  in  a  series 
of  meetings  for  a  week.  He  delivered  in  these  meet- 
ings eleven  sermons.  A  deep  interest  was  evinced  in 
all  the  exercises,  and  it  was  thought  the  church  was 
edified  and  built  up.  A  few  were  hopefully  converted. 
After  preaching  his  closing  sermon  at  New  Salem  in 
the  morning,  he  went  over  to  Border  Springs  and 
preached  to  a  large  crowd  of  people  at  night.  He  re- 
turned the  next  day  to  his  home  in  Columbus. 

Dr.  T.  went  to  McKinly,  Ala.,  in  August,  1885,  to 
hold  a  series  of  meetings  in  that  place.  A  very  se- 
rious difficulty  existed  in  the  church  there,  owing  to 
the  disaffection  of  many  of  the  most  pious  and  influen- 
tial members  towards  the  pastor ;  and  our  meetings 
were  held  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  audiences 
were  very  large,  and  a  deep  interest  in  the  meetings 
soon  pervaded  the  entire  community.  It  is  believed 
that  the  services  there  were  salutary  in  .paving  the 


370  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS. 

way  for  a  reunion  of  the  memoership  and  the  advance- 
ment of  our  cause  in  that  village. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  371 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Dr.  T.  has  held  a  number  of  meetings  in  several  of 
the  States,  which  have  not  been  mentioned  in  this 
book,  for  the  reason  that  he  has  not  been  able  to  pro- 
cure sufficient  data  to  justify  a  special  notice  of  those 
meetings.  He  has  held  meetings  in  various  places  in 
South  Carolina,  of  which  no  account  is  given  in  this 
work.  He  held  a  series  of  meetings  at  Sandy  Level,  in 
1857,  a  village  some  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  north  of 
Columbia.  This  meeting  was  signally  blessed,  and 
quite  a  considerable  number  of  converts  were  added  to 
the  church.  The  graces  of  Christians,  also,  were 
greatly  quickened.  He  made  his  home,  during  this 
meeting,  with  the  family  of  Dr.  Bookhart,  and  he  en- 
joyed his  stay  in  this  excellent  family  very  much.  He 
preached  twenty-seven  sermons  in  this  meeting. 

He  also  held  a  meeting  in  Spartanburg,  in  June, 
1857,  in  connection  with  the  esteemed  and  excellent 
pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Landrum.  This  meeting  occurred 
during  the  Commencement  week  of  the  Methodist  Col- 

o 

lege  located  in  that  place.  It  was  a  very  unpropitious 
time  for  holding  the  meeting.  Still,  large  congrega- 
tions attended  upon  the  services,  and  a  number  of  per- 
sons were  converted  during  the  meeting.  Under  more 


372  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

favorable  circumstances,  much  larger  results  would 
most  likely-have  been  realized.  He  preached  thirty 
sermons  in  this  meeting. 

He  also  held  a  series  of  meetings,  August,  1857,  in 
connection  with  the  camp-meeting  held  with  the  Buffalo 
Church,  in  Fairfield  District.  He  preached  twelve  ser- 
mons in  the  camp-meeting  to  very  large  audiences. 
Quite  a  number  professed  conversion  during  those 
services. 

He  also  held,  during  the  same  year,  a  series  of 
meetings  at  Lawtonville.  The  venerable  and  excellent 
Rev.  Willmrn  Lawton  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  that 
place  at  that  time.  His  visit  with  these  people  was 
very  pleasant,  but  it  was  too  short  to  accomplish  very 
much  good.  He  preached  seven  sermons  to  large  and 
appreciative  audiences.  A  very  liberal  contribution 
was  made  by  the  members  of  that  church  towards  the 
erection  of  the  church  edifice  in  Washington  City,  in 
the  interest  of  which  Dr.  T.  was  laboring. 

He  also  held  a  series  of  meetings  at  Laurens  C.  H. 
in  September,  1857.  The  congregations  were  large. 
He  preached  only  seven  sermons  at  this  place. 

He  also  held  a  series  of  meetings  that  year  in  Rock 
Creek  Church.  The  attendance  upon  the  meeting  was 
large,  both  day  and  night,  and  it  was  thought  much 
good  was  done.  He  preached  ten  sermons  in  this 
meeting. 

He  also  preached  several  sermons  at  Little  River 
Church.  A  protracted  meeting  was  in  progress  in  the 
church  at  the  time  ;  and  Dr.  T.  remained  there  only 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  373 

two  days.  He  was  well  entertained,  during  his  stay 
there,  by  Thos.  Furman,  M.  D.  Dr.  Furman  had  not 
as  yet  made  a  public  profession  of  religion,  though  he 
was  cherishing  a  secret  hope  in  Christ;  and  ho  was 
urged  by  the  ministers  and  members,  who  knew  him 
well,  to  unite  with  the  church.  He  was  waiting  for 
more  light,  and  by  so  doing  he  was  only  increasing  his 
darkness.  Knowing  his  case,  Dr.  T.  made  a  special 
effort  in  one  of  his  sermons  to  induce  him,  and  others 
like  him,  to  come  out  openly  on  the  Lord's  side.  He 
confessed  to  Dr.  T.,  on  arriving  at  his  home,  that  he 
came  very  near  offering  himself  to  the  church  at  the 
close  of  that  sermon.  He  was  an  excellent  Bible  stu- 
dent; and  it  wits  unquestionably  his  duty  to  join  the 
church.  Afterwards  he  saw  it  to  be  his  duty  to  unite 
with  the  people  of  God  by  a  public  profession  of  the 
name  of  Jesus,  and  he  was  very  happy  in  having  dis- 
charged so  long  a  neglected  duty.  , 

Besides  the  meeting  held  in  Camden,  of  which,  men- 
tion is  made  in  this  work,  Dr.  T.  assisted  the  pastor  in 
a  series  of  meetings  in  that  city,  in  1857.  He  preached 
fourteen  sermons  in  that  meeting  with  good  results. 

A  few  sermons  were  preached  by  Dr.' T.  at  Gilgal 
Church,  Robertville,  Gillisonville,  Stephens'  Creek, 
Chestnut  Ridge,  Beulah,  and  other  places. 

In  North  Carolina,  also,  he  held  a  number  of  meet- 
ings not  mentioned  in  this  work.  In  May,  1854,  he 
held  a  meeting  at  Murfreesboro,  for  a  few  days  only. 
This  is  the  seat  of  the  Chowan  Female  Institute.  He 
delivered  here  ten  discourses.  The  school  was  then  in 


374  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

a  very  flourishing  condition  ;  and  it  still  prospers,  not- 
withstanding the  ravages  of  the  late  internecine  war. 
Dr.  Henson  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  professors  in 
that  institution. 

He  also  held  a  series  of  meetings  at  the  Buckhorn 
Church,  which  is  only  a  few  miles  from  Murfreesboro, 
in  October,  1854.  The  meeting  with  this  church  was 
a  grand  success.  He  found  it  to  be  a  shouting  church; 
and  there  was  considerable  shouting  done  in  that  meet- 
ing. He  preached  ten  sermons  during  this  meeting, 
and  quite  a  number  of  persons  were  hopefully  con- 
verted . 

He  also  preached  a  brief  series  of  sermons,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1854,  in  Edenton.  He  preached  nine  sermons 
in  that  city  to  large  congregations ;  and  it  was  thought 
that  much  good  was  done  in  the  meeting. 

He  preached  several  sermons  in  Elizabeth  City,  at 
Bethel  Church,  at  Sawyer's  Creek,  at  Chowan  Associa- 
tion, and  other  places.  In  the  meeting  which  he  held 
in  Shelby,  in  1857,  he  preached  twenty  sermons,  and 
there  was  a  blessed  work  of  grace  in  the  meeting. 

In  Ohio',  also,  several  interesting  meetings  were  held, 
not  mentioned  in  this  work.  He  held  a  series  of  re- 
vival services  at  Fredericktown,  in  October,  1849.  He 
preached  in  that  meeting  fifteen  sermons. 

During  this  meeting  an  incident  of  interest  occurred. 
A  pious  lady  was  very  ill.  She  had  a  sister  connected 
with  Dr.  T.'s  congregation  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh, 
Pa.  He  visited  this  lady,  and  talked  and  prayed  with 
her.  She  became  delirious  under  the  influence  of  her 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  375 

mortal  malady.  He  told  the  friends,  if  she  should 
have  a  few  lucid  moments,  to  send  for  him  at  once, 
without  regard  to  the  time  of  day  or  night.  Accord- 
ingly, at  12  o'clock  on  Saturday  night,  they  sent  for 
Dr.  T.  He  hastened  to  her  bedside  and  found  her 
perfectly  rational.  In  reply  to  a  question  as  to  her 
prospects  beyond  the  grave,  she  calmly  replied,  "My 
sun  goes  down  without  a  cloud*"  And  then,  to  the 
question,  if  she  would  like  to  spend  a  part  of  the 
coming  Lord's  day  on  earth,  and  the  rest  in  Heaven, 
she  replied,  "O,  yes,  if  it  shall  please  the  Lord,  I 
would  like  to  spend  a  part  of  to-morrow  on  earth,  and 
the  rest  in  Heaven."  And  so  it  turned  out.  At  12 
o'clock  on  Sunday  her  emancipated  spirit  took  its 
flight  to  the  rest  and  rewards  of  Heaven.  Dr.  T.  bore 
her  dying  messages  to  her  sister  in  Pittsburgh,  and 
told  her  of  her  triumphant  death,  and  her  undoubted 
home  with  Jesus. 

The  meeting  in  this  place  was    attended  with  happy 
results. 

He  also  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  Adamsville  that 
same  month.  He  preached  in  this  meeting  thirty-one 
,  sermons,  and  a  good  deal  of  interest  was  manifested  in 
the  meeting.  During  the  meeting,  Dr.  T.  was  de- 
scribing Heaven,  one  day,  and  a  good  old  Methodist 
brother,  who  had  known  Dr.  T.  from  his  boyhood,  got 
very  happy,  and  he  exclaimed,  "Oh  !  Brother  Teas- 
dale,  do  stop  !  I  must  shout."  And  Dr.  T.  paused  and 
gave  the  good  brother  a  chance  to  shout ;  and  he  did 
shout  in  earnest.  When  he  closed  his  shouting,  Dr.  T. 


376  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

resumed  his  discourse,  as  if  no  interruption  had  oc- 
curred. And  the  shouting  had  no  bad  effect  upon  the 
audience.  Everybody  had  confidence  in  the  piety  of 
this  brother  ;  and  his  giving  vent  to  his  joy  over  the 
prospect  of  Heaven,  rather  increased  than  diminished 
the  interest  of  the  audience  in  the  important  discussion. 

He  also  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  Steubenville,  in 
December,  1849.  He  preached  nine  sermons  in  this 
meeting  to  large  congregations.  But  the  results  of 
the  meeting  are  not  remembered. 

Occasional  sermons  were  also  preached  by  Dr.  T.  in 
various  places  in  Ohio. 

In  Tennessee,  also,  he  held  some  interesting  meet- 
ings in  several  places  not  mentioned  in  this  volume. 
He  held  a  meeting  of  a  week  or  more  at  Milan.  This 
meeting  wns  attended  with  very  happy  results.  Chris- 
tians were  brought  up  to  a  higher  plane  of  holy  living, 
and  a  number  of  sinners  were  converted. 

He  also  held  a  series  of  meetings  in  Covington.  This 
was  an  excellent  meeting;  and  quite  a  number  were 
added  to  the  church. 

He  also  preached  a  few  days  at  Galiatin,  while 
Brother  Kincaed  was  the  esteemed  pastor.  There  were 
not  many  conversions  in  this  meeting;  but  the  Chris- 
tian people  felt  that  they  were  edified  and  built  up  in 
the  faith. 

Dr.  T.  assisted  the  lamented  D.  E.  Burns  in  a  series 
of  meetings  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Memphis, 
of  which  he  was  then  the  devoted  and  beloved  pastor, 
in  the  winter  of  1870.  The  meetings  were  held  in 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  377 

nights  mainly.  11  was  a  pleasure  for  Dr.  T.  to  work 
with  such  a  man.  Indeed,  Dr.  T.  and  Mr.  Burns  were 
knit  together  like  David  and  Jonathan  of  old.  Dr.  T. 
preached  the  funeral  sermon  of  Elder  Burns,  who  died 
in  the  fall  of  1870.  The  crowd  on  the  occasion  was 
so  great  that  not  half  the  people  could  obtain  a  place 
in  the  meeting  house,  and  his  remains  were  borne  to 
the  cemetery  by  a  very  great  concourse  of  people.  No 
man  was  more  beloved  in  life  then  he;  and  no  man's 
death  was  ever  more  deplored.  He  was  emphatically 
a  shining  mark. 

Dr.  T.  never  made  any  charge  for  his  evangelistic 
work.  He  left  the  matter  of  remuneration  entirely 
with  the  pastors  and  people  among  whom  he  labored. 
At  the  close  of  his  meetings,  he  generally  received  a 
considerable  number  of  interesting  notes  from  grateful 
Christians  and  young  converts,  expressing  their  thanks 
for  the  benefit  which  they  had  received  during  the  re- 
vival exercises.  Many  hundreds  of  such  notes  were 
received  by  Dr.  T.,  all  over  the  country,  and  most 
generally  they  covered  a  voluntary  contribution  for  his 
services.  Amongst  these  notes,  a  few  specimens  will 
suffice  to  show  their  nature  : 

"ROME,  GA.,  April  22,  1878. 
DR.  TEASDALE  : 

Dear  Brother  in  Christ :  Your  able  and  convincing 
sermons  during  the  last  three  weeks  in  our  city,  have 
greatly  strengthened  the  faith  of  my  wife  and  myself, 
in  God's  plan  of  reconciling  and  restoring  man  from  a 
lost  to  a  saved  state.  Your  earnest  and  affectionate 


378  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

appeals  to  sinners,  and  your  plain  exposition  of  the 
Divine  Word,  have  produced  feelings  of  endearment 
that  cannot  be  effaced  by  your  absence  in  the  flesh. 
Will  our  dear  brother,  in  his  petitions  at  a  throne  of 
grace,  remember  specially  and  particularly,  Brother 

and  Sister  S .     It  shall  be  our  earnest  endeavor  to 

meet  you  in  that  beautiful  and  heavenly  home,  of 
which  you  spoke  so  often  and  so  beautifully.  Our 
prayer  is  that  your  life  may  be  spared  many  long 
years  ;  and  when  death  comes  you  will  find  our  blessed 
Master  standing  ready  to  meet  you.  Brother,  pray 
that  our  faith  may  overcome  the  world,  and  that  we 
may  meet  each  other  in  Heaven ! 

Truly  and  respectfully, 

C.  G.  S AND  WIFE." 

The '  following  is  from  an    excellent   sister   of   the 
church  in  Rome : 
"DEAR  DR.  TEASDALE  : 

Please  accept  the  enclosed  bill  as  a  small  memento 
of  admiration  and  Christian  love.  How  I  wish  that  I 
had  the  fortune  of  Fortunatus,  that  I  might  bestow 
upon  each  one  of  God's  prophets — his  chosen  and 
anointed  servants — a  competence  that  would  make  them 
independent  of  this  world's  favors.  May  God's  holy 
unction  ever  remain  upon  your  heart,  and  m;iy  His 
Holy  Spirit  breathe  upon  your  soul  a  "peace  of  mind 
that  passeth  all  understanding." 

Yours  fraternally, 

A."C.  P ," 

April  22,  1878. 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  379 

Here  follows  a  note  from  another  sister : 
"DR.  TEASDALE: 

Dear  Friend — The  enclosed  amount,  though  small, 
is  a  slight  token  of  my  esteem  and  kindly  remembrance 
of  you  and  your  efficient  labors  in  our  midst.  I  feel 
that  I  have  been  greatly  benetitted  by  your  teaching, 
and  hope  I  may  ever  faithfully  discharge  my  Christian 
duties.  While  I  have  b6en  made  to  rejoice  with  those 
who  have  been  made  to  rejoice  in  a  Savior's  love,  still 
my  heart  is  sad  to  think  my  own  loved  brother  has  not 
been  reached.  Do  not  forget  to  pray  for  him,  and 
ever  remember  me  in  your  prayers,  and  as  your  grate- 
ful friend. 

April  21,  1878.  M.  S." 

The  following  is  a  note  from  one  of  the  converts  in 
the  meeting  at  Rome  : 

"ROME,  GA.,  April  21st,  1878. 
DR.  TE  ASP  ALE  : 

Dear  Sir :  Where  can  I  find  words  to  express  my 
gratitude  to  you  for  visiting  our  little  city?  You  have 
been  instrumental,  in  God's  hands,  in  performing  a 
great  work,  especially  amongst  the  School  girls.  In 
the  Collegiate  Department,  which  contains  thirty-four, 
all  are  members  of  the  church  but  one.  We  are  all 
going  to  pray  for  her  conversion,  and  want  you  to  help 
us.  We  do  not  do  this  merely  that  we  may  say  all  are 
trusting  in  Jesus,  but  because  her  soul  is  so  precious. 
The  majority  of  the  school  girls  were  already  members 
of  the  church ;  but  the  rest  will  ever  date  their  con- 
version to  this  period.  I  am  one  of  the  latter  class, 


380  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

and  will  look  upon  your  visit  in  Rome  as  the  happiest 
time  of  my  life.  Rest  assured  you  will  ever  have  the 
good  wishes  of  the  Shorter  College  girls.  We  all  ex- 
tend our  heart-felt  thanks  to  you  for  your  labor  and 
excellent  instructions.  M.  J." 

These  notes  might  be  inserted  by  the  hundred  from 
grateful  persons  all  over  the  country.  But  the  fore- 
going must  suffice. 

The  following  letter  to  the  Texas  Baptist  Herald  is 
clipped  from  that  paper  : 

"Dr.  T.  C.  Teasdale,  who  is  devoting  his  time  to  the 
work  of  an  evangelist,  came  to  our  aid  at  the  Broad 
Street  Baptist  Church,  in  this  city  (of  which  the  writer 
is  pastor),  on  Sunday,  December  3d,  and  continued 
his  labors  with  us  until  the  24th,  inclusive.  The  Doc- 
tor, though  now  sixty-three  years  o/tZ,  has  lost  none  of 
the  vigor  of  his  earlier  years.  His  mind  is  as  logical 
as  ever,  and  a  clearer-headed  man  I  do  not  know.  The 
Holy  Spirit  seems  to  be  with  him,  enabling  him  to 
make  Christians  mindful  of  duty,  and  sinners  tremble 
for  a  violation  of  God's  law,  causing  them  to  ask, 
"What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  As  the  result  of  the 
meeting,  so  far,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  fourteen 
persons  have  joined  our  church — eight  by  baptism 
and  six  by  letter. 

The  effects  of  the  Doctor's  visit,  his  private  and 
public  ministrations,  (for  he  did  not  spare  himself,) 
are  still  felt,  and  we  pray  that  the  seed  sown  may  yet 
bring  forth  much  fruit,  to  the  honor  and  glory  of  God. 

We  would  commend  him  to  any  church,  or  people, 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  381 

in  need  of  an  evangelist,  and  to  all  who  love  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  in  sincerity  and  in  truth.  He  makes  no 
compromises  of  his  Baptist  principles,  but  fearlessly, 
forcibly  and  pungently  preaches  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus. 

He  has  started  for  Texas,  where  he  will  be  for  a  few 
months  laboring  as  evangelist.  May  God  go  with  and 
bless  him,  in  bringing  souls  to  Christ  in  Texas,  and 
wherever  else  he  may  go. 

P.  T.  WARREN,  Box  1166. 

Mobile,  Ala.,  January  10th,  1872." 

Dr.  T.,  in  all  his  evangelistic  labors,  has  been  very 
careful  to  preserve  the  influence  of  the  pastor  with  his 
people.  He  has  been  a  pastor  himself  of  several  large 
city  churches ;  and  he  has  always  had  a  strict  regard 
to  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  pastor  in  his  meet- 
ings. Many  objections  are  urged  against  some  of  our 
modern  evangelists.  And  it  must  be  admitted,  with 
sorrow,  that  a  certain  class  of  modern  evangelists  give 
too  much  occasion  for  complaint  by  their  style  of 
preaching,  and  their  methods  in  conducting  their  meet- 
ings. Dr.  T.  agrees  with  an  excellent  writer  in  the 
Biblical  Recorder  on  this  subject.  The  writer  says  : 

"In  all  ages,  gifts  have  been  bestowed  specially 
adapted  to  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  souls. 
These  gifts  may  not,  and  sometimes  do  not,  fit  the 
man  for  the  pastoral  office,  but  as  supplementing  a 
pastor's  gifts  they  arc  often  of  high  value.  The  re- 
vivalist may  not  always  possess  the  learning  and  teach- 
ing power  of  the  settled  pastor  ;  he  might  perhaps  fail 


382  REMINISCENCES  AND  INCIDENTS 

in  the  qualities  essential  to  the  continuous  guiding, 
organizing,  and  governing  of  a  church  ;  but  in  power 
to  make  vivid  the  truths  and  impressions  already  re- 
ceived by  the  people,  to  develop  hitherto  latent  con- 
viction, and  to  press  men  to  a  definite  and  avowed 
religious  decision,  he  may  be  specially  gifted.  Some 
pastors  eminent  in  teaching  and  pastoral  qualifications 
lack  the  awakening  power,  and  thus  it  is  often  true  in 
the  spiritual  work  that  one  soweth  and  another  reap- 
eth.  In  such  cases  the  revivalist  comes  as  a  reaper, 
with  special  gifts  for  ingathering,  where  the  long  and 
patient  toil  of  the  sower  and  cultivator  has  preceded 
him,  and  has  already  prepared  in  the  souls  of  the  peo- 
ple the  spiritual  harvest. 

"The  relation  of  the  evangelists  to  the  pastor,  in 
special  religious  services,  is  always  one  of  great  del- 
icacy. The  most  frank  understanding  and  cordial  co- 
operation between  them  is  of  the  highest  moment. 
Much  care,  therefore,  should  be  taken  not  to  encroach 
on  the  prerogatives  of  the  pastoral  office,  or  to  lessen 
the  estimation  in  which  the  pastor  is  held  by  the  peo- 
ple. There  is  sometimes  danger  of  this.  The  sermons 
of  the  evangelist,  limited  as  they  are  in  number,  and 
frequently  repeated,  not  only  have  the  attraction  of 
novelty  to  the  people,  but  are  often  spiced  with  a 
fullness  of  anecdote  and  delivered  with  a  freedom  and 
force  which  the  pastor  cannot  possess,  by  reason  of 
the  different  and  wider  range  of  subjects  which  he 
must  discuss,  and  the  far  heavier  and  more  extended 
draft  made  on  his  resources.  The  less  thoughtful 


OF  A  LONG  LITE.  383 

hearers  will  contrast  what  seems  to  them  to  be  the 
comparative  dullness  of  the  pastor  with  the  freshness 
and  spice  of  the  evangelist,  and  the  pastor  unjustly 
suffers.  Among  the  converts,  also,  there  is  often  a 
special  attraction  to  him  who  had  been  the  immediate 
agent  in  their  conversion,  while  the  long  and  patient 
toil  of  him  who  had  probably  prepared  the  way  for 
that  final  step  is  overlooked,  or  disparaged.  Plainly, 
it  is  the  duty  of  the  evangelist  to  recognize  and  hold 
in  check  these  tendencies,  and  to  strengthen  in  every 
possible  way  the  pastor's  position  in  the  convictions 
and  affections  of  the  people.  He  may  thus  render  his 
work  a  permanent  blessing  in  the  churches  by  making 
it  the  means  of  cementing  the  relations  of  pastor  and 
people." 

Dr.  T.  held  meetings  in  July  and  August,  1883,  in 
Fayetteville,  Mount  Olive,  Syllacauga,  and  Rockford, 
Alabama.  These  churches  were  then  under  the  care 
of  Rev.  W.  Wilkes,  and  all  these  meetings  were  greatly 
blessed. 

He  also  held  meetings  that  season  in  Jacksonville, 
and  Alexandria,  in  that  State,  which  resulted  well. 

He  also  held  meetings  in  several  places  in  Georgia, 
which  are  not  mentioned  in  this  work. 
CONCLUSION. 

And  now,  in  taking  leave  of  his  readers,  and  bidding 
them  an  affectionate  farewell,  Dr.  T.  wishes  to  assure 
his  numerous  friends,  all  over  the  country,  of  his 
grateful  remembrance  of  their  manifold  kindnesses  to 
him.  Owing  to  the  peculiar  circumstances  in  which 


384  REMINISCENCES  AND   INCIDENTS 

he  has  been  placed,  at  different  periods  in  his  history, 
he  has  perhaps  become  personally  better  known 
throughout  the  country,  and  especially  throughout  the 
South  and  Southwest,  than  any  man  living.  To  all 
these  acquaintances,  North  and  South,  East  and  West, 
he  wishes  to  send  his  final  Christian  salutations.  This 
is  the  last  book  which  he  ever  expects  to  publish.  And 
he  cherishes  the  hope  that  the  reading  of  this  volume 
may  serve  to  awaken  in  Christians  an  earnest  desire 
for  greater  attainments  in  the  divine  life,  and  a  more 
perfect  consecration  of  themselves  to  the  service  of 
our  blessed  Lord.  \Ve  are  not  our  own ;  but  are  bought 
with  a  price,  the  price  of  blood  divine.  Let  us,  there- 
fore, glorify  God  in  our  bodies  and  spirits  which  are 
His.  If  we  seriously  consider  what  we  were  by  nature  ; 
what  we  are  by  divine  grace;  and  what  we  hope  to  be 
hereafter,  we  shall  certainly  find  occasion  for  the  most 
devout  gratitude  to  God;  and  be  inspired  to  "rejoice 
with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory,"  by  reason  of 
our  endearing  and  most  honorable  relation  to  Jesus 
here,  and  the  thought  that  we  shall  be  like  him  in  the 
better  world,  where  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is. 

And  to  his  unconverted  friends,  who  may  read  this 
book,  Dr.  T.  wishes  to  express  his  deep  interest  in 
their  spiritual  welfare.  Oh !  how  deceptive  are  the 
things  by  which  we  are  surrounded.  The  poet  well 
expresses  it  when  he  says  : 

"How  vain  are  all  things  here  below! 
How  false,  and  yet  how  fair!" 

"How  miserably  mistaken  is   the   poor  sinner  who 


OF  A  LONG  LIFE.  385 

makes  this  world  his  portion.  The  whole  world,  which 
so  fills  and  intoxicates  its  victims,  what  is  it?  To  a 
Christian,  this  world  appears  but  a  grand  imperti- 
nence— a  magnificent  funeral  pile,  awaiting  the  last 
conflagration.  It  will  soon  be  reduced  to  a  heap  of 
white  ashes,  blown  hither  and  thither  by  the  winds  of 
Heaven."  Oh!  then,  be  entreated,  dear  friends,  to 
seek  the  better  country,  and  lay  up  treasure  in  Heaven. 


X 

<! 
T1/I3 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


50m-3,'t>8(H9242s8)9482 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY 'FACILITY 


A    001  033  035    5 


